The Castaway Hotel - 8 - 30. Chapter 30 - The Accident

The rest of the week flew by, in a blur of activity. Final exams were taken, teachers began to clean up their rooms and store things away for the summer, and the seniors were getting excited about their big day. The graduation rehearsal went fairly smooth, even though a couple of clowns tried to use the practice as a showcase for their sense of humor, but the faculty quickly put an end to their tomfoolery and regained control of the situation. Now, all that was left was the real ceremony.

That evening, Jake, the boys and I spent most of our time setting up large tents and filling them with the tables and chairs I’d borrowed from the school. Before long, we had everything set up for our graduation party. It was a lot of work, but I knew the boys would appreciate our efforts, so that made it easier to keep going. When the preparations had been completed, we moved on to the next phase, which was finishing up the signs. I also checked with the caterer, to make sure everything was going to be done as I had requested. When all of those tasks were completed, we decided to relax for the rest of the evening.

Saturday started off with Nick’s parents’ arrival, so they would be present when he graduated from high school. We greeted them warmly and Nick was thrilled they had arrived. He and Shannon spent some time with them, before Nick went off to get ready for his big day. Steve and Mary were going to meet us at the school, so they could be in attendance when Vinnie graduated. After all, they were his parents and should be there to revel in his accomplishment. Although I still felt close to both Nick and Vinnie and always tried to be there for them whenever they needed help or advice, I felt it was best for their parents to be front and center for this big event.

The remainder of the morning was basically a mass of chaos and confusion. Everyone was taking showers, polishing shoes, ironing garments and rushing about trying to locate the last minute items they needed. The seniors also had to make sure they had their caps and gowns, which Jake and I had taken great pains to ensure were without any creases or blemishes. Once everyone was ready, we drove to the high school. The seniors took their own vehicle, so the rest of us could come back and get things going for the party, while they were saying their good-byes to their friends and teachers. Of course, I couldn’t stay with the family once we got to the school, because I had my own duties to perform. I did stay long enough for Steve and Mary to arrive, but then Jake took the Shays, Lawrences and the rest of the boys to find seats.

The graduation ceremony went very well and I had the pleasure of presenting diplomas to four more young men I loved and were so very dear to my heart. This meant I now had only six sons left in the public school system I oversaw and half of them would finish up the following year. I just find it hard to believe how quickly the time has gone by, since I began taking in all of these wonderful young men, but it had.

After the ceremony concluded, we quickly congratulated the graduates and then left, so they could do their own thing. While they were busy enjoying their moment in the sun, the rest of us went home to set up for their party. One of the first things we did was to fill the coolers with soda and then ice them down, so they’d be ready to quench everyone’s thirst. While we were doing that, the caterer showed up and began to unload the food. The cold dishes we placed over containers filled with ice, while the hot dishes where set in pans with a Sterno fire lit underneath.

Shortly after that, Dustin returned from running an errand for me. I had sent him to buy a keg of beer for the adults, which we helped him carry from his SUV to a large plastic tub. Once we iced that down too, the only thing left to do was to put up the congratulatory signs. I quickly discovered Jake had already started doing this and had the signs for Cole and Trey up already, so some of the older boys helped put up the signs for Vinnie and Nick too.

Once the guests began to arrive, the party kicked off in earnest and I quickly lost track of what the rest of my family was doing. I was distracted greeting the constant flow of people in and out of the tents, which included other graduates and their dates, parents of the graduates, faculty members and staff, various other friends and our extended family. Everyone seemed to be enjoying himself, including my youngest pair, but the four seniors were having the most fun of all. As you might already have experienced, there is a sense of freedom and exhilaration that comes with the realization that you are no longer in high school. This euphoria, combined with all the people who had come to celebrate with them, had propelled the boys into some uncharacteristic rowdy antics.

In addition to some horseplay, they all went out of their way to tease each other about their rankings in the class. This concerned me at first, because of Cole’s history of learning problems, but to my surprise it didn’t seem to faze him a bit. In fact, Cole not only seemed to take it well and in stride, but he was one of the primary instigators for this activity. He eagerly ragged on those closest to him in the rankings by saying things such as, “At least I have an excuse for being so far down on the class list, but how did you screw up so badly.”

At other times, Cole might tease, “Man, I may have learning problems, but you’re obviously dumber than you look – if that’s possible.”

Actually, none of the four had done poorly, and because of Cole’s outstanding grades in his technical classes, he was in the upper portion of the third quartile of the graduating class. For those of you that have trouble dealing with this method of terminology, it means he was just below the middle of his class rankings.

The party went on for several hours, with people continually coming and going, but it was a huge success. Once the last of the guests had departed, some of the boys helped Jake and I clean up the mess, so we could get ready for Sammy and Pat’s birthday party, which was going to be held the next day. Yes, I know Sammy had told his tormentors it was Pat’s birthday party and refused to acknowledge the party was for him too. He felt that if he let them know it was a joint party for both of them, the bullies would press to ruin it for him. He may have been correct, so it’s a good thing he was mentally agile enough to slip this by them.

Unfortunately, we had been forced to have a combined party, which I prefer not to do, but with everything going on, I had little choice. Not only did we have graduation this weekend, but we’d also be leaving on vacation the following weekend, so it was the best I could do. Pat’s birthday is on May 28th and Sammy’s is on June 1st, so it turned out that we were holding this party between their birthdays,

We left one tent up, with the tables and chairs in place, but we took down the other two tents and stored their contents away, until I was ready to take all the borrowed items back to school. Once everything was done, we went inside and finished our preparations, before Jake and I collapsed from exhaustion. The graduates and some of the college boys were still going strong and took off in a couple of our vehicles, so they could check out some of the other parties.

After a brief rest, Jake and I got up and started going again. We were busy marinating steaks in a special seasoning and soaking the chicken in barbeque sauce, before we began to prepare the side dishes. Some of the younger boys offered to give us a hand, because they liked having all these parties too. I also think they figured if Jake and I continually had to do all the work for these occasions then we might stop having them. I’m not sure if that was their exact reasoning, but it was nice to have some help.

We were all very tired by the time we went to bed that evening, except for possibly the graduates. I’m sure the adrenaline rush from the day had given them the extra energy they needed to keep going. I have no idea what time they got home, but they were in their beds the following morning, when I went to check on them. Although some of them appeared to be a little worse for wear, they were all present and accounted for.

A few of the boys weren’t very happy when I woke them, so they could get ready for church, but I didn’t feel sorry for them. They knew, in advance, we would all attend services together, no matter how late they got in the night before, so they had no one to blame but themselves, if they weren’t in condition to sit through a sermon.

Nick’s parents had agreed to go with us, so they rode with Jake and I, along with Andrew and Jesse. The older boys drove the others, which worked out fine, since they were a bit on the grumpy side. Once we were all there, Steve and Mary joined us and we went in and took our seats, as we waited for things to begin.

During the service, a few of the boys started to doze off and received elbows from those sitting next to them, but everyone somehow made it through the sermon. We skipped our normal outing for brunch, since we’d be eating at the party, so we rushed home to take care of the final preparations. Jake started the grill, while some of the boys helped me carry things out to the tables. Steve and Mary followed us home and they sat and chatted with the Lawrences, while we finished getting things ready.

Once Jake and I finished setting up, we fixed drinks for the adults, including ourselves, and sat down to chat. The others began to show up shortly thereafter and happily joined in our conversation. A short time later, Jake and I got up and began grilling the various types of meat we were offering, while some of the boys brought out the rest of the food.

Pat was turning nineteen, but he wasn’t going to be as lucky as Dustin and Danny and get a vehicle to use. I did discuss this fact with him in advance, to make sure he understood the reasons behind my decision, and he assured me he did. Pat also insisted it didn’t bother him, so I thanked him for his understanding attitude and promised he’d be able to use the other vehicles when he needed to go somewhere.

Sammy was turning sixteen, even though most people would have suspected he was younger. He was only about the size of a thirteen or fourteen-year old and was also very young looking, which could be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how you looked at it. I knew his situation was due, at least in part, to his oriental parentage, and it sometimes bothered him when others wouldn’t believe his true age. It was something I hoped to help him address in the near future, unless it became a major issue before then.

The meal went well and all of us stuffed ourselves, before we kicked back to talk about upcoming events. In fact, we were still doing this when the boys interrupted our conversation and provided us with some entertainment, of sorts. It seems some of them had gotten together and decided our recent graduates, as well as the birthday boys, needed to be humbled a bit. Furtively, various pairs or small groups sneaked up behind the six unsuspecting boys and waited for their cue. When Dustin shouted ‘Now!’ they dumped buckets water over their victim’s head. Of course, Andrew and Jesse had teamed up with Little Ricky to get Sammy, although most of the water from their bucket missed Sammy’s head and only drenched his back.

Once the various targets recovered from the shock of the assault, they began to retaliate. This led to a momentary free-for-all, during which the victims tried to wrestle their attackers to the ground, so they could push them into the puddles of water that hadn’t yet soaked into the soil. Fortunately, no one lost his temper and the boys merely provided the rest of us with a few good laughs. After they came back from cleaning up and changing, we had the cake and ice cream.

As we downed our dessert, we began to give Pat and Sammy their presents. I had made sure they each received some nice gifts, including a few things they had indicated they really wanted. I also had a little surprise for Sammy, which I gave him after he opened his other gifts. It was a special birthday card, which contained the date and time he was scheduled to take his learner’s permit test. I knew this would help him feel more mature, once he realized he’d be taking his test to drive shortly and would soon be in that elite group with his older brothers. I was also aware of the fact that we might have to make some vehicle adjustments for him, because of his small stature, but I’d do whatever it took to help him in that regard. Once all the presents were opened, the party began to wind down and some of the extended family informed us they had to leave. We bid them farewell and told them we were sorry to see them leave, before we watched them drive away. Some others were content to stay a little longer, so they could enjoy the camaraderie our family offered.

Andrew and Jesse came up to me after some of our guests had departed and wanted to know if they could go off for their bike ride. Since many of our guests had already departed, I told them they could. They wanted Jake and me to go with them, but I explained we had to stay behind this time and remain with those who were still here. Even though I could tell from their expressions they were disappointed, I knew they understood, so they said good-bye to those who were left and then went off to get their bikes. As they set off on their ride, the rest of us waved, as the pedaled away from the house.

Some time later, the last of our guests departed and we began to clean up. I had just finished carrying my second load of things to the kitchen, when the front door burst open and Jesse came running in. He raced up to me, grasped my arm and tried to pull me toward the door. I concluded he thought I could go out riding with Andrew and him now, since everyone else had departed, but I still had things to do and couldn’t go quite yet.

“Not now, Jesse,” I told him. “I have a lot of work left to do.” He looked at me puzzled and pulled on my arm again.

“Jesse, not right now,” I added, except this time I stated it a bit more firmly.

Jesse seemed to become frustrated and I couldn’t understand why this was so important to him. After watching him struggle with this for a few seconds, his next actions totally floored me.

“A… A… Aaaan… dooo h… h… huuuut,” he choked out. This shocked me into the realization that I had misunderstood his actions and he wasn’t indicating what I thought. However, hearing him speak momentarily stunned me into inaction.

“Aaaan… dooo huuuut,” he had managed to say again. After I got over my initial shock that he had spoken, I finally returned to my senses.

“What happened? Where is he?” I blurted out, even though I wasn’t sure if I expected Jesse to answer me using words again. However, he was smarter than I was at that point and used his familiar hand signals to explain that whatever happened had taken place on their bike ride.

Since I was unsure how badly Andrew had been injured, I asked Jesse to lead me to where Andrew was. He pointed at the Yukon, to let me know the accident happened some distance from the house, and then he pointed in the direction he wanted me to go. As we drove along, Jesse motioned each time he wanted me to turn, until he finally signaled for me to stop. We were along the spot I had pointed out to them on our first bike ride together, where the road runs along the upper edge of a ravine.

Jesse animatedly pointed toward that area, to let me know that’s where Andrew was. As I put the vehicle into park and turned on the 4-way flashers, I grabbed my cell phone and asked Jesse what happened. He pantomimed that Andrew had somehow lost control of his bike and tumbled over the restraining barrier, before somersaulting down the slope.

I got out and looked down the embankment. I could see Andrew’s still form lying near the bottom. I quickly climbed over the guardrail and slid down the hillside, as I attempted to reach my injured son. When I was finally by his side, I could immediately see he was unconscious and possibly had a broken leg, because it was extending from his body at an awkward angle.

I quickly dialed 911 to summon help and excitedly told the dispatcher where we were and what we needed. She responded by assuring me help was on the way, so I thanked her, but she didn’t want me to hang up until the ambulance arrived. I glanced down at my son and made sure I could see his chest rising and falling with each breath, before I assured her I would hang on. Silently, I thanked God that Andrew had been wearing his helmet, because I was convinced he might not still be alive, had he not been using it.

The ambulance arrived a few minutes later and I informed the ‘911’ dispatcher of that fact, before I hung up. The emergency personnel had a tough time scrambling down the hillside, but they managed to bring down a backboard, their medical kits and all kinds of restraining devices. After checking Andrew’s pulse and making sure he was breathing adequately, they slipped a brace around his neck, just in case any damage had been done to it. After they straightened his leg out, they placed an air splint on it.

Once he was mobilized on the backboard, the rescue team began to haul him out of the ravine. They had to use several ropes to pull the backboard up the hillside, because it would have been difficult and dangerous to try to carry it up. If they slipped or lost their grip on it while trying to carry it, the backboard would slide or tumble back down the slope and possibly cause Andrew to have more injuries. I was pleased they were wise enough to take this additional precaution, even though it split the medical team up.

As they pulled the backboard up the embankment, I had a hold of another rope and used that to pull myself back up the slope, as they pulled Andrew’s still form toward the emergency vehicle. I continued to stay by his side, as we slowly made our way up the embankment, because I wanted to be there to make sure nothing else happened to him. One of the EMTs was doing the same on the other side, so I felt fairly confident nothing would go wrong. Once Andrew’s battered frame reached the top of the ravine, his backboard was lifted up and laid on a gurney, before it was strapped down and placed in the ambulance. Once the gurney was secured inside, the driver sped off toward the hospital. I got in the Yukon with Jesse and we followed closely behind. I never let the flashing lights get out of sight, until we reached the emergency room.

I hurriedly parked my SUV, and then Jesse and I jumped out and raced toward the door to enter. By the time we reached it, the ambulance crew had already taken Andrew inside, but through another entrance. Since he was already inside, I went up to the front desk and explained whom I was, hoping I could go right in. However, the lady on duty told me I’d have to fill out some forms first, while the doctors examined my son and ran some tests on him. Needless to say, I was not happy about this and quickly became more than a little irritated. I wanted to be in with Andrew, not filling out paperwork.

No matter how vehemently I denounced her demands, the woman insisted I wouldn’t be allowed to see Andrew until after the doctors had finished examining him anyway. I was still frustrated, but I also realized she was probably correct, so I began to relent and fill out the forms. I was still mildly upset about not being able to comfort Andrew, but I controlled myself well enough to provide the information she requested. Once we were done, I still wasn’t allowed to be with Andrew and Jesse and I were told we would have to wait in the reception area, until someone came to get us.

Frustrated, Jesse and I did as we were told and went to the waiting area. We tried watching the television there, hoping it would distract and help us pass the time until we were summoned, but it didn’t work for either of us. We were both too worried about Andrew to focus on anything else, but it was also obvious that Jesse was even more agitated and tense than I was about this. He looked tighter than a rubber band that had been twisted and stretched as far as it could go, in order to propel a toy car or plane. Whenever anyone entered or exited the area through the automatic double doors, which led back to the examination rooms, both of us would look up, but Jesse would leap out of his seat as well. We anticipated it might be a person coming to get us, or at least be bringing us some news, but it continually was not the case.

At one point, I even thought Jesse was going to try to speak to the receptionist, so he could ask how Andrew was or find out how much longer we’d have to wait, but that never happened. I tried to do all I could to reassure him, but nothing seemed to help. I held him, cuddled with him and constantly told him that Andrew would be fine, even though I had my own doubts to contend with.

After a lengthy wait, a nurse finally came out and called my name. After I moved in front of her, I was relieved when she explained I could go back to see Andrew and talk to the doctors now. Jesse got up to follow me, but I was immediately informed he would not be able to go back to the examination room with us. I tried to explain the connection between the two boys and how Jesse had uttered his first words in years in order to let me know Andrew had been injured. I felt it would be best for both boys if they were allowed to be together during this time, but the news didn’t seem to impress the nurse or set well with her. She made it abundantly clear she wasn’t about to budge on her stance.

I didn’t give up either, until I convinced her to go back and check with the doctor, so she could see what he had to say. She wasn’t happy about having to do this, but when she returned, she told me the doctor had agreed to make an exception in this case. She informed us that the doctor thought Jesse’s presence would do no harm, but it might do some good, so he was going to allow it. Wasn’t that what I tried to tell her? Anyway, we anxiously followed her to the examination room and when we reached it, she opened the door and we stepped inside.

There were three doctors in with Andrew. I was quickly introduced to the emergency room doctor, an orthopedist (who was there to set Andrew’s broken leg) and a neurologist (who was trying to make sure Andrew hadn’t suffered any brain damage during the fall). Before we began to discuss Andrew’s condition, I made certain that Jesse was seated by Andrew’s side. Jesse then grabbed and held Andrew’s hand, while the doctors apprised me about what they had discovered.

Andrew did have a broken leg, which the orthopedist said wasn’t severe and would heal in six to eight weeks. Once I heard that, I pressed them about any other injuries Andrew might have sustained and there was a slight delay before anyone responded. Eventually, the neurologist told me there was some swelling around the brain, which had been caused from the trauma of being bounced around inside his skull as he tumbled down the hillside. The physician explained this damage would have been more severe, and possibly even fatal, had Andrew not been wearing a helmet.

The neurologist then went on to explain he was treating the swelling with drugs, which were being pumped intravenously into Andrew’s body. He also stated the drugs seemed to be having some positive effect, so we should remain hopeful that he would recover. He also informed me the brain swelling was the mostly likely cause for Andrew remaining unconscious, but softened his pronouncement by adding some encouraging news. He then advised me that Andrew should regain consciousness again, once the swelling had gone down.

The neurologist said he was very optimistic about Andrew’s chances for a full recovery, which came as a relief. He followed this news by informing me he’d be leaving shortly, but would return in an hour or so, to see how Andrew was doing. The emergency room doctor said he would also be leaving, so he could attend to other patients, but the orthopedist said he’d be staying, so he could set Andrew’s broken leg. After I thanked each of the doctors for their help, Jesse and I were taken back to the waiting room, until the orthopedist finished tending to Andrew’s leg.

We sat in the waiting area for many more minutes and Jesse was getting very anxious about being able to return. I reassured him we would be allowed to be with Andrew again, just as soon as the doctor finished treating him and it seemed to help. I felt up until I told him this, he thought he might not be allowed to return to Andrew’s side, especially after the nurse didn’t want to allow him to go back in the first place. When someone did come to get us again, Jesse nearly raced off ahead of me, but I was quick enough to grab a hold of his shoulder, before taking him by the hand.

After we entered the room, I pulled a chair up and sat next to Andrew. I then pulled Jesse onto my lap and we began our vigil. My focus soon turned away from Andrew’s condition to how Jesse was fussing over his brother and closest friend. After watching him for a while, I thought back upon all that had happened and realized how much of an effort it must have taken for Jesse to utter those few words, to let me know something was wrong. At that moment, he managed to end years of silence, just so he could let me know his best buddy was in trouble. It was not only amazing, but also showed the depth of the bond these two now shared.

Jesse’s concern for his big brother had overcome all the years of remaining silent, which had been brought about by another traumatic event. Although I knew this wasn’t as severe as when he witnessed his father’s death, it was enough of a catalyst to initiate a minor miracle. At least now, I knew his lack of speech wasn’t tied to any physical impairment, although I still realized it would take a great deal of continued effort on his part, if he were to ever be able to speak normally again.

I was deep in thought and considering all of these variables, when I was distracted and shocked out of my reverie. I guess during my self-imposed stupor, I hadn’t noticed that Jesse was trying to get my attention, and when he couldn’t, he spoke again.

“A… a… an… dooo,” he forced out, with considerable difficulty, “o… o… k?” I was deeply touched by the concern etched upon his face when I looked at him.

“The doctors say he will be fine,” I told him, as I forced a smile onto my face. I felt I had to do this, in order to reassure him completely. He returned my smile with a lovely grin of his own, but I could see he was still worried, nonetheless. That’s when I decided I should say something more.

“Jesse, he’ll probably be home in a few days, but I know Andrew will try to get better even faster, once he hears you started speaking again, just to save him.” This remark elicited an even broader smile from Jesse and I could tell he was trying to say something else.

“G… g… g… ood,” he finally managed to get out, before he turned back to face the unconscious form on the bed next to us.

As I sat watching Jesse continue to fawn over Andrew, I realized there were things I was supposed to be doing to protect another of my sons. Sammy was scheduled to meet his group of tormentors tomorrow, when they were going to force him to have intercourse with a girl. I had promised I’d do everything within my power to get him out of that jam, but the thing was, I’d been lax in fulfilling my obligation. Of course, it was because of what had happened to Andrew, but that didn’t matter. I had made Sammy a promise.

I quickly explained to Jesse that I needed to step out briefly, so I could use a pay phone to call Jake and let him know what we’d found out about Andrew. I also wanted to ask him if he’d be willing to come down and sit with Andrew and Jesse for a while, so I could take care of other matters. I didn’t tell Jesse this, because I was afraid it might upset him, at least before Jake was actually here.

Jake didn’t even hesitate when he heard my request and agreed to come down shortly. I thanked him several times for doing this and then went back to sit beside Andrew. As we continued our vigil, my attention was split between Andrew’s condition and what I was going to do to help Sammy.