Published: 17 Oct 2024

From The Previous Chapter:

It had been a long day for Phillip, so Mr. Ken walked him upstairs, but not to his bedroom. He stopped him at his bathroom and told him to go inside and drain his dragon. When the boy came out, the man walked him down to his room and told him to just take off his clothes and sleep in his underwear, as he would sleep better that way.

They shared a hug before ‘dad’ Ken told Phillip to sleep in as long as he needed, and not to worry about Momma and breakfast. The man then closed the door. Ken Thomas then headed down to his own retreat to get ready to fall into his own bed and get a good night’s sleep.

The Cove was quiet that night and one Cover slept like no other.

While Mr. Ken was eating his Momma breakfast Friday morning, he told the woman that he was letting Phillip sleep in as long as he needed, so to please give him something to eat when he came down stairs. The man also placed the boy’s medication on the table and he asked Momma to make sure the young Cover took his pills every four hours.

Momma thanked him for telling her about letting the boy sleep and she said that she would make sure the boy took his medication. She then asked her employer how long the young Cover had to wear the sling, and Mr. Ken told her at least until Sunday. She thanked him for that information, as well.

When Ken Thomas arrived at the office, Ben and the architect asked to meet with him to go over the preliminary plans for the new operations building. Mr. Ken told him to stop by his office at ten o’clock.

After Mr. Ken took care of his important messages and phone calls he missed from the previous day, because he was out, as he was taking care of his foster son, he called Sheriff Barnes.

When the two talked, Mr. Ken told him about his gruff meeting with Deputy Rivera and after he gave him the particulars and who else were either present, or heard the exchange because they were outside the room, he asked the Sheriff if he wanted him to file a formal complaint, or did the Sheriff want to handle it in-house. The Sheriff asked if he minded if he handled it in his own way. Ken Thomas told him to do what he thought was best. The Sheriff thanked him for that.

Later that morning, the three men sat down and talked about the new operations building for the Four Corners Amusement Park. Mr. Ken had questions about the size of the building, but the two men showed how having two stories gave them the space Nelson would need now, and in the future when, and if, they expanded the ride offerings.

Ken Thomas wasn’t sold on their reasoning, so he told them to give him some for instances. Ben Walthers told his boss that as they expand the park and begin to accumulate Spook-Tac-U-Lair, Christmas Wonders and other Holiday decorations they will need the space to store all of that stuff, and that was just a start.

Ben then told Mr. Ken that what Nelson started in the refreshment stands would be expanded exponentially as the park grows and their guests demand better foods and drinks, which would mean space for more paper products and freezer space. Ben continued saying that as the park expands, they will also need to provide more employee uniforms and they all require more storage and employee locker space.

Ken Thomas sat back and took in all that Ben laid out for him. He personally didn’t want to see a large building situated on the property, but the park would invariably grow some in the out years and Nelson will need the space for whatever they decide to host, Holiday wise.

Knowing that he was going to approve the building, he asked them if they could maybe go down in the ground to keep the building from being so imposing on the landscape.

The architect told Mr. Ken that they would need to drill the grounds where the building was to be sited to see if it was suitable for that type of construction and, if not, it would up the cost of the price of construction. Mr. Ken told him to get some soil samples and see what the ground could hold.

The architect told Mr. Ken that they would have to close the Miniature Golf Course for a few days and, in doing so, it would tell the people that you intend to dismantle it. Ken Thomas told him to do it, as they would learn about it soon enough.

Momma fed the boys and then Billy went out and worked with Lonnie on power washing the driveway. The other three asked if they should wake Phillip. But Momma told them that their ‘dad’ told her that he had their ‘brother’ sleeping, as long as he needed to. She then asked the pre-teen, Matthew, to take care of Chief’s food and water bowls for his ‘brother’.

Phillip came down to the Kitchen Nook around 9:30 and he apologized to Momma for being so late. But Momma told him that his ‘dad’ explained that he was to sleep as long as he needed, and he asked her to feed him when he came down. She did have him take his meds, while she fixed him his breakfast.

After he ate, Phillip gave Momma a big hug for taking the extra time to fix his breakfast. The young Cover then went upstairs to take his shower. But when he tried to wash himself, he found that his right arm muscles had all tightened up from the dislocation and he found it difficult to get clean. But he washed what he could and dried himself as best as he could. Putting on the deodorant he found was another difficult task.

The Cover boys were up at the Pavilion when their friends began to arrive. Phillip’s bandmates were still interested in how he was doing, and when he might be able to begin playing with them again. Phillip told them that he tried playing his acoustic guitar last night, and it was very difficult, as his right arm was really sore.

The Covers and their friends did what they usually did during the day, which was skate, swim, drive the PWCs and sail the sailboats, get the barbeque ready and then cook. After he ate, though, Phillip went back to the house to take his medication and to lie down. He was really tired and his shoulder was hurting him.

Jacqueline Kromiere, aka, Ms. Jackie, returned from her family vacation that Ken Thomas sent her on, and she stopped by the office that afternoon to check in. She stopped by Mr. Ken’s office, who asked her to have her report ready on Monday for him, as he would not be available on Tuesday and Thursday of next week. Ms. Jackie said that she would and then left.

As Jackie was leaving, she stopped and talked to Rosemary and asked her why Mr. Ken was so surly. Rosemary told her about the accident on Wednesday that put his youngest foster son in the hospital and how the news media had blamed his oldest foster son for the accident.

Rosemary then told Jackie how the Sheriff’s Department released a dash camera video with audio that proved that the construction company authorized him to drive through the area, which ultimately had the front-end loader back into the vehicle and crush the top over Phillip. Miss Jackie was appalled and now understood her employer’s mood.

After Jackie left his office, Ken remembered that he hadn’t called Kate to tell her about the accident. So, he told Rosemary to hold his calls and he called his girlfriend. When Kate picked up the call, she asked him why he hadn’t called. Then, when she heard about the accident, she was concerned about Phillip and how he was doing. They didn’t talk too long, but at least Kate now knew that there was a good reason why her boyfriend hadn’t called.

Phillip slept most of the afternoon. When he woke up, he still felt tired and his shoulder was hurting, so he went down to the Kitchen Nook to see if Momma had his medication, so he could take one. She gave him the medication and after he took one, he told her that he was going back up to his room to try to play his guitar.

When Mr. Ken arrived home from the office, he asked Momma if Phillip took his medication. She told him he had and then went up to his room to try to play his guitar, and she hadn’t heard from him since then. Mr. Ken went upstairs to check on the young Cover.

“Phillip” … called out ‘dad’ Ken, as he looked into the boy’s room.

“Phillip … it’s time you woke up and came down for dinner,” called out ‘dad’ Ken.

The boy stirred and when he looked up and saw his ‘dad’ there, he asked him what time it was. ‘Dad’ Ken told him that it was dinner time, and that he must have had good nap by the way he was so sound asleep.

‘Dad’ Ken told the boy to go to the bathroom and wash his face and hands and to use the ‘porcelain god’, while he was in there, before he came to the Nook, and not to dawdle. Phillip smiled at the reference to the ‘porcelain god’ and hurried out to miss the swat at his backside.

Phillip arrived at dinner just as Momma was placing everything on the table. The boy apologized to her for being late. The youngster then threw his ‘dad’ under the bus by blaming him for making him wash his face and hands before coming down there. Charles shot back by telling his ‘brother’ he should have used the back stairs, and that way he wouldn’t have been late. The other three ‘brothers’ laughed, while ‘dad’ Ken and Mr. Wayne smiled at the quick comeback.

Later, in the Study, ‘dad’ Ken reviewed what was happening next week, so the boys would remember. After they asked questions about the dedication on Thursday, and what they would have to do if they went along, he asked Robert and Bill if they had any questions about visiting their mothers next week. All Bill asked was if he could continue to send his mother some money. Mr. Ken told him that it was purely up to him, and that he shouldn’t send more than the State recommends. The man then told him to talk to Mr. Chris on Monday.

After their meeting, the Covers checked on Chief and her puppies. Matthew knew to refill Chief’s water bowl with ice water, while everyone else scratched behind the resident pet’s ears and told her what a good job she was doing in raising her little family.

It was while the Covers were down in the Great Room that Collin returned from visiting Wilkinson. The young man heard them down there and he walked down the stairs to join his Big Brother and his ‘brothers’. That was when he saw Phillip with his arm in a sling and he heard all about the accident.

Again, Mr. Wayne left early to go back to his apartment, but this time he told the boys to have a good night and to sleep well, and that he’d see them when he saw them. They all laughed at him.

‘Dad’ Ken didn’t spend much time saying good night to the boys. He told them he wanted to show Collin the video and brief him on it, and what was happening next week.

Collin was appalled at how the accident happened and that the Taurus was totaled. He asked his Big Bro if he had decided to replace it. The young man’s ‘big brother’ told him that he’d probably take Bill out with him when they return from their trip, to do that. Collin asked him if he was going to do that the same way he did it with him. All the Big Bro did was smile back at Collin at the question.

The two shared a hug before they both headed to their respective bedrooms, telling one another that they would catch up with one another tomorrow with what was happening at The Cove and at CWE, formerly Wilkinson.

The Cove was quiet that whole night through, and Phillip slept a little better as the muscles and tendons in his shoulder were beginning to relax due to the medication and that he was resting as the doctor told him.

The weekend flew by for the Covers, although there were a few things that did happen.

On Saturday morning, when Mr. Bindy showed up for Phillip’s guitar lesson, he saw the boy with his arm in a sling, and wondered why no one had contacted him. Phillip told him that he could still play his acoustic and that he wanted to still learn something. The young Cover told the man that they were going on their trip, beginning next Saturday, and he would miss that lesson and the following one, and he wanted something to work on until he saw him again.

Mr. Bindy loved the boy’s dedication, even though the boy’s arm was not fast in playing his guitar. But the guitar instructor knew that what he showed the boy today would be absorbed like a sponge, and when he saw him next, the boy would have it down better than most of his other students.

Later that morning, Judy Turner called Ken to tell him that Mackenzie Flores had successfully finished her two required training courses, parenting and money management, and had finished her first week of work training and had one more week to go and then she would have to find a job and hold it for a minimum of four weeks, before the judge will call her in for a review. Hearing there would be a review before Mackenzie and Phillip would be reunited surprised Ken Thomas.

Ken Thomas did finally call Bruce Price to tell him that Chief had seven healthy puppies and there were four males and three females. Bruce wanted to come over and see them. But Mr. Ken asked him to wait until they were walking as they still could have problems, and he was keeping everyone away for now. The owner of The Cove also mentioned that he and his family were headed on a trip and a trusted friend would be taking care of Chief and her little family until he returned.

That wasn’t what Mr. Price wanted to hear, but he had to rely on the good will of the owner of the dame as to when he would be allowed to see the pups. The two did agree, though that Bruce would get one male and one female, if all seven survived.

Stewart Russell did call Billy back that Saturday to tell him what he thought a defamation of character suit would entail and what were the odds of success. But before the lawyer could tell Billy much more, the teenager told him that he jumped the gun there and that he hadn’t talked to Mr. Ken about that and they better wait.

Stewart Russell knew that Mr. Ken had talked to his senior partner, Bill Jackson, and was glad that Billy had mentioned that fact. It told the junior lawyer that the teen was an honest client, so he told Billy that he would then wait on Mr. Thomas to call the firm before he did anything else.

That same Saturday, Bill Jackson called his friend and client, Ken Thomas, and the two talked about the defamation angle of Bill Dirketson, the maligning of his client, Ken Thomas, and the construction companies’ involvement and responsibility in the accident.

Bill told Ken that the construction company is totally responsible for the hospital bills, replacing the Taurus and the pain and suffering of the boys. As for the defamation, Bill told Ken that they might be able to whittle some money from the news agencies involved since, as of that morning, only the television station had made a cursory apology and even that was a joke.

When it came to the maligning of his client, Bill told Ken that it might be a stretch there. But he told his friend that if he was willing to try to turn the screws and see what they have to say he was willing to file. The lawyer did remind his client that he will have to testify if it goes that far, and it can only open a can of worms for him if he presses them.

Ken told his lawyer friend to press forward on recovering the hospital costs and replacing the car and of course figuring out what pain and suffering for each of the boys they should receive. Bill asked for copies of their medical records for their hospital visits, and he wanted to know if they make any visits to see Doctor Doug.

On the defamation of character issue, Ken told Bill to press forward on that one, as well. He told the lawyer that he knows that his foster son, Bill, feels strongly about the issue as he called Stewart himself. Bill Jackson laughed when he heard that and told him the Stewart did come to him right after he talked to Bill the first time. The lawyer agreed that he felt there was some merit to that case.

After dinner that night, ‘dad’ Ken asked the boys if they wanted to drive the Go-Karts, play the amusement park’s game, or ride the rides. The boys asked why they couldn’t do them all. ‘Dad’ Ken asked them who was paying for it all. Matthew said Billy could, now that he got his lawsuit settlement. Everyone laughed.

Phillip opted to play the games because he couldn’t drive the karts or ride anything just yet. So, the best thing for him were the simple arcade games. ‘Dad’ Ken agreed and he gave the boy a twenty-dollar bill, and told him to plan accordingly.

The four other Cover boys were in a conundrum, as to what they wanted to do. The last time they were there they split up and some played the games, while the others rode the rides. Billy and Robert opted to drive the Go-Karts.

Charles and Matthew now needed to decide what they wanted to do. They opted to play the games, so ‘dad’ Ken gave them both a twenty-dollar bill and told them to walk over to the Go-Kart Track if they hadn’t walked over to the park.

Phillip found that he was not right-brained as his left hand could not shoot the gun to get the balloon to fill and break in order for him to win, and he had another game to play. He felt like he wasted his five-dollars.

Phillip, using his experience from the balloon game, had to decide how he would spend his remaining $15.00. There were the Balloon Darts, which he felt he’d probably have to use his left hand, so that was a no go. Then there was the Ring the Bell Tower, and he immediately discounted that one as there was no way he could swing either of the two hammers.

The last two games remaining were the Ring Toss and the Ball in the Cup. Again, he’d have to use his left hand, but in either of those two games he felt it was actually the ‘luck of the draw’ as to where either the ring or the ball landed as there was actually no skill required to play them.

But the young Cover had a decision to make as to how to spend the last of his money. The Ring Toss to try to put a plastic ring over the top of a glass bottle would cost him $5.00 for a small bucket of plastic rings and $10.00 for a large bucket. But that would only leave him with $5.00 with which he could only get 10 balls, which were 5 balls for $2.00, to throw to try to get a Ball in the Cup, and $1.00 left over. But if he used $10.00, he could get 25 balls to throw at the Ball in the Cup game and then use the remaining $5.00 for a small bucket of plastic rings for the Ring Toss. He chose the latter option.

The young Cover went to the Ring Toss game first and asked for a small bucket of plastic rings. After paying his $5.00 to Josh, one of Robert’s friends, he received a small bucket of rings. Josh, knowing it was Phillip, heaped the bucket, as much with rings as he could, so the young Cover would have a better chance at winning.

Phillip felt he could throw the plastic ring with his left hand, but in practice he found that he wasn’t any better at throwing than he was at aiming the gun. But he had a bucket of rings to throw, so he did his best. He did find that as he threw each ring, he got a little better at it, but needless to say he never got the plastic ring to go over the glass bottle top.

Phillip then headed over to the Ball in the Cup game. He gave Isaiah the last of his money, $10.00, and he received 25 wiffle balls with which he hoped to get into one of the gold, blue or red cups which would win him a prize.

Again, the young Cover had to use his left hand to throw the ball, but by now he was sort of getting used to using his left hand. Now he had to decide if he wanted to throw overhanded or underhanded. When he threw the first ball overhanded the ball went off the grid. The other people who were playing laughed at what he did.

Isaiah retrieved the ball for the boy and told everyone that he knew the boy and telling them that he was right-handed and using his left hand had to be difficult for him, seeing his right arm was in a sling. The people just smiled and went back to throwing their balls at the cups.

Phillip threw the next ball underhanded and this time it stayed on the grid, but unfortunately it didn’t land in a colored cup. Phillip wasn’t too disappointed, as he knew he still had 24 wiffle balls to go.

Charles and Matthew went to the Balloon Darts first. They figured that for $5.00 for three games they should win at least one prize. They both won one small plush toy. Their next stop was the Balloon Blast and again they played three games. But this time they were playing against sixteen other players, as all eighteen seats were taken when they game bell rang. Only Matthew won a small prize.

The teenager and pre-teen were looking around to see which game they wanted to play next when they heard the people laughing over at the Ball in the Cup game. So, they walked over to see what they were looking at. There they found their ‘brother’ Phillip throwing his plastic wiffle balls onto the grid.

“How you doing, Phil?” asked Charles.

“Not so good. I’m right-handed, which means my left hand is useless. I haven’t won anything, but at least I’m having fun,” answered the youngest Cover.

Matthew then asked his younger ‘brother’, “We heard a lot of laughing over here. Do you know what the people were laughing at?”

Phillip sheepishly told his ‘brothers’ that they were laughing at him. He explained that he threw his first ball over-handed with his left hand and it went off the grid and Isaiah retrieved it for him and gave it back. Charles and Matthew both chuckled over what their ‘brother’ told them.

So, since the two arriving Covers were there, they also decided to play the Ball in the Cup game, while Phillip continued to toss his wiffle balls underhanded using his left hand.

Soon, there were three Covers tossing the wiffle balls at the 375 cups, besides the other four people trying to land a ball in a colored cup, with a gold cup winning them the super large prize, the blue cup winning them the medium prize and the red cup winning them the small plush prize.

Seven people were throwing balls at the cups and as they did, the balls would invariably hit one another and a ball destined for a colored cup may have been knocked away from giving the thrower a prize. The people were jokingly complaining at the thrower for doing that to them. Lots of laughs all around.

Phillip had that happen to him a few times, but he just shrugged it off, as he’s seen it happen to others, as well. His ‘brothers’ weren’t any different, as he heard them complain just as the other throwers did, and he inwardly laughed at them. Wiffle balls were being thrown at the grid of 375 cups at a continuous pace, as old players left, not having won a plush of any size, and new players arrived.

Then it happened. A wiffle ball landed in the gold cup. The question was whose ball, was it? The players all claimed that it was theirs. Everyone argued that it was their ball that landed in the gold cup. But luckily, Isaiah had been watching and he awarded the winning ball to Phillip.

People began to complain that he didn’t know whose ball it was, and some said that he should give the super large plush prize to them all. Isaiah smiled at them and then pointed to the security cameras in the two corners of the game.

Isaiah told them that he’d been watching the game long enough to know who throws and where the balls land, and he knew that it was Phillip’s ball that landed in the gold cup. The teenager added that if they don’t believe him, he’d call his supervisor over and they could all wait around until he arrived and he reviewed the security cameras. None of the people wanted to stay, as they all knew in their hearts that it wasn’t their ball.

Charles and Matthew couldn’t believe that Phillip won the largest of prizes that were offered at the Four Corners Amusement Park. Isaiah was going to give the Cover the prize now, but Phillip still had a few balls yet to throw, and he asked the teen to wait.

When the three Covers had finished throwing their wiffle balls, other people had won a medium or small prize during the time that they were at the Ball in the Cup game, but Phillip had been the only one who actually won the largest prize that day. And the super large prize was almost as big as he was and with his right arm in a sling, he could hardly carry it.

Matthew offered to carry it for him. But Phillip wanted people to know that it was he who won it, so he declined the offer and he struggled to carry the huge plush toy animal. Charles saw what was happening, so he called his dad and told him what happened and asked him and his ‘brothers’ to come over there because Phillip wouldn’t let them carry the huge plush for him.

Billy and Robert couldn’t believe the size of the plush that Phillip had won. When they all loaded into the van, Phillip put the blush in a seat and put the seat belt on it. All the boys laughed at what he’d done.

The Covers stopped over at Mr. Ken’s Kreamy Kone for ice cream that night before heading home. They all got double scoop sundaes and Conner gave Phillip extra whipped cream, nuts and cherries on his concoction.

Back at the Study, ‘dad’ Ken formally congratulated his foster son on his win. He told the boy that now he had a roommate and that plush could now reside in the empty bed. All of Phillip’s ‘brothers’ told him how jealous they were of his win.

Once ‘dad’ Ken visited the boys in their bedrooms, the boys all thanked him for letting them do what they’d done after they ate dinner. In Phillip’s room, the super large plush sat upright in the vacant bed and Mr. Ken had to admire that his foster son had won that.

The two talked and Phillip told his ‘dad’ that he was glad that he could finally take the sling off tomorrow. But ‘dad’ Ken told him that his shoulder will still be sore and for him not to try anything more than what he’d been doing. The two shared a hug and ‘dad’ Ken reminded the boy to drain his dragon before he laid down. Phillip laughed and headed to his bathroom.

Saturday night was a good night at The Cove as everyone slept well.

Sunday morning, Charles had already convinced his dad to take them out to breakfast, so the Covers headed out to their ‘dad’s’ favorite place, International House of Pancakes, (IHOP).

Phillip wasn’t wearing his sling and he was slowly trying to use his right hand and he found it somewhat difficult, but he persevered and he ate his pancakes, bacon and hash browns while washing it all down with chocolate milk.

Later when his bandmates came over, they saw that their Cover friend wasn’t wearing his sling, so they asked him if he was going to play with them today. Phillip told them that his shoulder was still sore and that he had a difficult time eating breakfast, but that he’d try to play.

The band got Phillip’s guitar for him and helped him put it over his head. But once the strap holding the guitar put the weight of that guitar on the previously dislocated shoulder, Phillip told them, “Take it off, take it off!”

“Guys … the weight of the guitar, it really hurt my shoulder. So, I guess I won’t be playing with you anytime soon. Sorry,” announced Phillip.

The band continued and adjusted how they’d play their music, as they had been doing ever since Phillip went to ride with Billy on that fateful Wednesday. Phillip stayed around and watched and listened to the band play, and realized that even without him they still sounded pretty good.

Phillip watched all the other boys skate and the barbeque team get the day’s barbeque ready. As he sat there watching, he was mad that the accident had happened to him, and that he was now missing everything that was there for him to enjoy. The boy wasn’t crying, but he felt somewhat downtrodden over his sudden situation.

Billy saw his little ‘brother’ sitting over by himself and that the look on his face didn’t say that he was having fun. So, the teenager went over to the young Cover.

“You don’t look like you’re having a good day, Phil. So, what’s up?” asked Billy.

“This sucks! I can’t play my guitar because it is too heavy on my shoulder,” was all Phillip said to his big ‘brother’.

“Phil … I bet you’re feeling exactly how I felt last summer … after those men … after they beat the living shit out of me,” began Billy. “But when Mr. Ken brought me back here, I had a broken nose, a fat lip and several cracked ribs, and I couldn’t do much of anything. In a week, or three, your arm … it will be loose enough that you’ll be able to go back to doing much of what you were doing before the accident.”

“Yea, but in less than three weeks we’ll be starting school, and the guys won’t be over except on the weekends. And then I’ll be moving back home with my mom. I just want to enjoy everything while I can, because I won’t have anything close to this when I live with my mom,” lamented the youngest Cover.

“Phil, I hear ya, but it is what it is. Don’t just sit there feeling sorry for yourself. I don’t know what the doctor told you, but I bet there are exercises that you can do to help you strengthen your shoulder, and get it back into shape sooner. Maybe you can go down to your room and search the world wide web and see what you can do to help loosen up the shoulder. That will give you something to do until lunch and help pass the day, too,” counseled the big ‘brother.

Phillip took his big ‘brothers’ advice and he walked down to the house to go up to his room. ‘Dad’ Ken saw the boy as he walked down the slight hill somewhat dejectedly, so he met his ‘son’ as he was going to walk up the stairs.

“Phillip … what’s wrong, ‘son’?” asked ‘dad’ Ken.

“It’s this shoulder, ‘dad’. I tried to play my guitar, but it is too heavy for my shoulder. Billy … he suggested that I look up what exercises I can do to help it heal,” explained the youngster.

‘Dad’ Ken agreed with Bill that there were exercises that he could find on the internet that he could do to help strengthen his shoulder, and that would help him to get to play his guitar sooner. ‘Dad’ Ken then asked the boy if he’d taken his medication, since he’d been home. Phillip told him that he hadn’t, but he didn’t think it was time yet. ‘Dad’ Ken looked at the time and agreed.

Phillip said he was going up to his room to search for those exercises, and that he’d go back up to the Pavilion when it was time for lunch. ‘Dad’ Ken told him to make sure he took him with him when he went up there. The two smiled and then they went in their respective directions.

Phillip and ‘dad’ Ken did go up to the Pavilion for lunch. Billy asked his younger ‘brother’ if he found any exercises to do for his shoulder. Phillip told him that he had and would try to do them.

As the day progressed, some thunderstorms had developed; and they came to The Cove and chased the boys under the pavilion. But the boys remembered from last year when the storm was so bad that they all huddled in the restrooms and storage rooms, so many of them rushed down to the house.

‘Dad’ Ken saw them coming and knew the rain was sending them. He headed them off before they all ran down to the Great Room and told them to sit in the MRS Room, or head up to their Cover’s bedroom, as he didn’t want them bothering Chief and her puppies.

The boys had hoped they’d get to see the puppies, but they were disappointed when they heard Mr. Ken tell them that they had to stay in the MRS Room, or go upstairs.

The rains stayed around well into the night, so Mr. Ken let the parents drive down to the house in order to pick up their sons. The boys who hung out at the Pavilion, had to huff it over to the Main Gate to get picked up. The ones who rode their bikes either got exceedingly wet, or they left their bikes when their parents came to get them.

The Covers went out for dinner, as they usually do on the weekends, when Momma isn’t there. But because of the rain, there was no Go-Kart driving, or riding the rides or playing the games at the Four Corners Amusement Park. The one thing that they did do was, they went to their usual place for ice cream, Dairy Queen.

They all got banana splits and this time Phillip didn’t have too much trouble eating his, as his right arm and shoulder had loosened up some. They still talked about the accident, and that was when Billy told his ‘brothers’ about him calling Stewart Russell about suing the news media about the way they depicted him.

The teen’s ‘brothers’ couldn’t believe that he’d done that. Matthew asked his ‘dad’ if he knew that Billy had called their lawyer. ‘Dad’ Ken told them that he learned about it when he called his own lawyer, Bill Jackson, about the same thing. The boys started talking about that amongst themselves.

‘Dad’ Ken told the boys to settle down, and that he had everything under control. He told them that he and Bill had talked about him doing that, and that he understood why he did it. ‘Dad’ Ken told them that he was just as mad at the news media for the way they characterized Bill as well as him, and that was why he had called his lawyer.

The boys wanted to know if he was going to sue the news media. All ‘dad’ Ken would tell them was that Bill Jackson was looking into it. He did tell them that as the construction company, as evidenced by the video, was responsible for the accident, his lawyer was looking into having them pay the hospital bills.

The boys persisted and asked if he was suing the construction company for what happened to Phillip. But ‘dad’ Ken told them that they would have to wait until his lawyer had done all his research, and talked to their lawyers before that decision would be made.

Once they all returned to The Cove, they had their usual meeting in the Study. ‘Dad’ Ken reminded the boys that Robert and Bill would be going to see their moms on Tuesday, and he and Mr. Chris were going to the blessing and dedication of the Blessed Waters Academy High School’s new vocational building on Thursday.

The man then told Phillip that he needed to talk to Doctor Doug about the accident and that his appointment was at ten o’clock on Wednesday. He then suggested to Bill to talk to Doctor Doug about the accident, as well. Billy told him that it might be good to talk to the doctor. Mr. Ken said he’d make the call and see if he could get him in before their trip.

The Covers all checked on Chief and her young brood. Matthew made sure the resident pet had fresh ice water for when she needed it. They all gave Chief some behind the ear scratches before they headed up to their rooms.

When ‘dad’ Ken talked to the boys in their rooms, he asked Charles if he was going with him on Thursday. The teen told him he still hadn’t made up his mind, but that he was leaning towards going. In Matthew’s room, the pre-teen told him the same thing.

Billy and Robert, both told him how much they were looking forward to Tuesday and seeing their moms again. Mr. Ken reminded Bill to talk to Mr. Chris about sending more money to his mother and not to try to exceed the amount the State will allow.

Phillip was trying to play his acoustic guitar when the man walked to the youngest Cover’s room. ‘Dad’ Ken heard the strumming was a bit faster than before and that the chords were a bit different. When he asked, the boy told him they were his new lesson for when Mr. Bindy came back. After a short talk about the boy’s shoulder and his doing some exercises to help loosen it up, the two went in their separate directions.

The Cove was quiet inside that Sunday night, as the rain storm continue outside.

The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com

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