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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Retaliation - 10. Dustin's Revenge

Head's up: This chapter contains conversation and activity concerning suicide which may be disturbing for some readers. It's never my intention to cause harm with my story. This is a very intense chapter. Please, use discretion before reading.

“Oh my god, he’s dead,” I thought to myself. Dustin’s naked body lay there motionless on the ground in a dark pool of black gore.

“Someone murdered him,” I thought. “His dad fucking killed him.” The beer cans were definitely the brand his dad liked to drink. “He fucking finished the job. He raped the poor kid and murdered him, and left him for dead for somebody like me to find.”

I sat down on the stump in a state of shcok. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I’d never seen a dead body before. Dustin’s forearms were all cut up and mangled. Blood was still pulsing from each of his wrists. And that’s when I came out of shock and realized that dead bodies don’t bleed the way Dustin was bleeding. He was still alive.

“Oh fuck, he’s not dead!” I shouted. “Fuck!”

Without even thinking I took off my coat and shirt. My friend wasn’t going to die if I could help it. I ripped my shirt in half like it was made of paper. I quickly tied each half around Dustin’s wrists to stop the bleeding. I lifted him up off the ground and slung him over my shoulder. He was still breathing, at least. I put my coat over him to give him some cover and I started to carry him toward my house. But then I realized that no one was home, so I turned toward Brett’s house. Dustin puked violently all over my back. At that moment I didn’t care, I was just happy that he had just shown some sign of life.

By the time I got to Brett’s house I was so full of adrenaline that I kicked the back door open rather than knock. “Brett!! Help me!!!” I cried. “God help me please!!!!” Brett came flying down the stairs pulling up his boxers. I carried Dustin into the living room and laid him on the floor.

“What the fuck happened?” Brett yelled.

“I don’t know!” I cried. “I found him up in the woods.”

Brett ran to the phone. “Shit!” he shouted. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”

I just stood there stupidly while Brett stared at the ghastly sight of Dustin’s naked, bleeding carcass on the floor. “Fucking answer, bitch!”

“Who are you calling?” I asked.

“My mom,” Brett replied.

“Don’t call your fucking mother!” I shouted. “Call a fucking ambulance you fucking idiot!”

Brett slammed the phone down. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!” Brett shouted. “I don’t know what the fuck to do! Fuck!”

“Call 9-1-1!” I snapped. “Jesus, Brett! Don’t panic!”

Brett picked the phone back up and dialed. I checked Dustin’s pulse to make sure he was still alive. I didn’t even realize he was laying there all spread eagle and naked on the floor. He was ghostly white and sickeningly skinny, like he’d never had a decent meal. His hair was matted and slick from sweat, puke, and blood. There was nothing at all glamorous about him.

“He’s gonna die,” I thought to myself.

“Yeah,” Brett said. “My name’s Brett Reilly, I’m at 55 Park Avenue in Donora near Palmer Park.” He waited for a moment. “I need an ambulance… There’s a guy bleeding and he’s not moving… I don’t know. It looks like he cut himself.”

I gently pushed back Dustin’s dark black hair from his face. He looked sick and pale. He was far too skinny, merely skin and bones. I could almost put my hands around his waist.

“I don’t know, my fucking boyfriend found him up in the woods… No, I won’t calm down, you fucking bitch, the dude’s gonna die if you don’t send help! I’m sixteen, what the fuck difference does it… Listen, you fucking moron. I’m not fucking pranking you I’m… No, I know I’ve called before but this is different! I… Don’t fucking hang up on me you stupid fucking cunt! What the fuck?!?!?!”

“What?” I asked.

“They fucking hung up on me!”

“Seriously? They can’t do that! That’s fucking illegal!” I shouted.

“Well, here’s the fucking phone, dickhead!” Brett shouted, holding the phone out to me. “Care to try your luck?”

“Call your fucking mother,” I snapped.

Brett dialed his mom’s number quickly. “Why the fuck is he naked?” Brett asked while he waited.

“I don’t know, Brett. I found him like this,” I replied.

“Why don’t you go get him some boxers or something instead of stroking his fucking hair? Give the poor asshole some fucking dignity for Christ’s… Mom! Dustin tried to kill himself! He’s lying here on the floor and the fucking cunt from 9-1-1 just hung up on me. No, I’m not fucking joking!”

While Brett talked to his mom, I ran up to Brett’s room and grabbed some boxers from his drawer. From the looks of Brett’s room, Dustin had spoiled what was going to be a very romantic evening for us. I threw the lube that had been lying on the bed into a drawer and I blew out the candles Brett had lit and returned to the living room. Brett was holding Dustin’s arms up and trying to apply pressure to Dustin’s forearms.

“Mom’s on her way,” Brett said. “She’s calling the ambulance again but she’s still pretty far away. She said to keep pressure on his arms like this.” He demonstrated what his mom had told him. I quickly put Brett’s boxers on Dustin and joined him in holding Dustin’s arms up and applying pressure to Dustin’s wounds. It was now clear what had happened. Dustin’s wrists seemed to be the only wounds he had, which meant that Dustin had done this to himself.

“Sorry I called you an idiot,” I apologized.

“It’s alright,” Brett replied. “I’m sorry I called you a dickhead. Fuck, what’s that smell?”

“He puked on me,” I answered.

“Fuck, that reeks, dude,” Brett said. “Smells like really sour beer.”

“There were a lot of beer cans up there,” I replied. “I think he tried to drink himself stupid and then he did this to himself.” The sound of a siren started getting louder in the distance. I’d never heard a sweeter sound.

“That better be for us,” Brett snapped. “I swear to god I’m going to punch that bitch who hung up on me in the fucking cunt.”

Right before the ambulance arrived Dr. Reilly pulled into the driveway. She came running in through the kitchen and found her son and Dustin each in only a pair of Brett’s boxers and me without a shirt on her living room floor. She scanned the scene and quickly replaced Brett at Dustin’s side. “Before that ambulance gets here, run upstairs and put some clothes on. And change your shorts.”

“Mom, I…” Brett started.

“DO IT!!” Dr. Reilly snapped. As Brett walked away, I noticed he had a dark wet spot on the back of his boxers from the lube that had leaked out of him during the chaos. He quickly slipped away upstairs as the ambulance pulled in front of the house. It hadn’t even occurred to me that Brett had been in nothing but his boxers while everything had been going on.

Dr. Reilly told me to open the front door for the EMT’s while she stayed with Dustin. Brett quietly walked back down the stairs while they attended to Dustin. Brett was now wearing a full set of clothes, and an unbuttoned blue shirt over top of his tee shirt. The EMT’s spent about ten minutes or so bandaging Dustin’s wounds and loading him onto a stretcher. Dr. Reilly followed them to the door.

“You have my number, Brett. You boys might have just saved his life. You said he was drinking, Billy?”

“Yeah,” I replied.

“That’s important to know. Thank you,” she said quickly. “What were you boys doing half… Oh, we’ll talk about this later. I’ll call his mother on the way to the hospital. Billy, you better go home. Brett, you should go with him. I’ll call you there.” Then she quickly joined the EMT’s in the ambulance and they rushed away.

I sighed very deeply as I watched the ambulance drive down the street. Everything had happened so fast that only now was I able to begin thinking again. I turned to say something to Brett, but he had already gone back into the house. I walked inside and closed the door. Brett was standing in the living room looking down at the bloody mess on the floor.

“He ruined our carpet,” Brett said flatly.

“I guess I’m the one who ruined it. I’m the one who put him there.”

Brett sniffed. “Stupid fucker. What the fuck was he trying to do, kill himself?”

“Brett…”

“Fucking asshole. Look what he did to our carpet,” Brett’s voice quivered. He got down on his knees where he’d been with Dustin just a few minutes before.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I said, putting my arm around him.

Brett shrugged me off of him and turned away from me as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hands. “My mom really liked this carpet. Fucking dick. Ugh! What is that smell? Oh that’s right, he puked on you. You smell disgusting,” he said. “Why don’t you go take a shower?”

“Are you going to be okay alone?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” Brett insisted. “I just need a minute.”

“I know. Me too. I’m scared too, you know.”

“You’re not the one who destroyed his life,” Brett replied.

“That’s not what happened!” I protested.

“I should have just kept quiet. Now things are worse than ever,” Brett sighed. Tears now streaked his cheeks and he couldn’t stop them.

“You saved his life!” I replied.

“And now he’s trying to end it!” Brett cried. “Dude, didn’t you see his fucking arms? What he did to himself? He tried to fucking kill himself! If you hadn’t found him he would be dead right now! Don’t you get it? Dustin tried to kill himself because of me! I’m not a hero, Billy. I’m just a stupid kid! I ruined his life.”

“You didn’t ruin anything! His parents ruined his life, Brett! His dad is a monster, and frankly his mom’s no better. Did you see how skinny the poor guy was? I’ve seen kids in Africa look healthier than him! He wasn’t just being abused by his dad. The whole fucking family’s been killing him for years! Maybe that family needed to be destroyed before it destroyed Dustin! I only wish I’d done what you did so you wouldn’t feel so guilty about everything!”

“Don’t tell me how I’m supposed to feel about this, Billy!” Brett snapped. “Everybody thinks they fucking know what’s best for me. You! Mom! My stupid fucking doctor! Teachers! Well you can all go fuck yourselves! I’ve had it with fucking everybody! Everybody wants to fuck with my head! Everybody wants me to be somebody I’m not! Feel something I don’t feel! I am not a fucking phony-ass freak! I have a right to feel the way I feel! And fuck you for trying to change me into something I’m not!”

“Jesus, Brett,” I replied. “I’m only trying to help you.”

“I don’t need you to help me, I need you to love me!” Brett replied, futilely wiping away the tears that just wouldn’t stop.

“How can I love you without wanting to help you?” I asked. “I’m not just some fuck-buddy, Brett. I’m your boyfriend. I love you to death! I would literally die for you! But seeing you so distraught over something that you did that was right is killing me, dude. Whether you want to believe it or not, you saved Dustin’s life. What Dustin chooses to do with that life is out of your hands. You did the right thing. It wasn’t the easy thing, it was the right thing.”

Brett’s eyes welled up and he broke down. I hugged him and just let him bawl for a while. I just soothed him and told him it was going to be okay until he got himself back under control. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Don’t be,” I replied. “You’re entitled to one good rant every once in a while. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I got mad at you for being upset about what just happened?”

“I’m such a fucking crybaby. I still feel terrible about everything. Fuck, I don’t want to know what my mom thinks was going on here.”

“An orgy gone terribly wrong, I guess,” I replied. “Come on, let me take a shower while you get what you need to stay at my house. Oh, by the way, I got my driver’s license.”

“Really? That’s cool. Too bad mom didn’t leave her keys, we could take her car over to your house,” Brett said.

“That’s okay, in all the confusion, I left a bag of my stuff up in the woods,” I replied. We walked up the stairs. I stripped off my clothes while Brett got a towel for me so I could shower.

“Shit,” Brett sighed as he looked at me standing naked in the doorway to the bathroom. “I was ready for you to fuck the hell out of me before all this shit happened. I’m still, like, all lubed up and everything too. But now I don’t wanna do anything.”

“It’s okay,” I replied. “There’ll be other times.”

“Guess I’m going to have to get another std test after he bled all over me,” Brett said. “You’ll be happy to know the last one came back clean after he spit on me.”

“Well, that’s one silver lining in all this,” I replied.

While I showered Brett grabbed a few things to take to my house, and after I borrowed some clothes from him we walked back to my house. I grabbed my bag up at the top of the hill. Neither one of us wanted to get too close to Dustin’s stump where I’d found him laying. From the hill, we could see the lights on at the Smiths’ house. I wondered if they knew by now what had happened to Dustin. I wondered what life was going to look like for Dustin after everything that had happened.

When dad got home we told him what had happened. He sat up with us and we talked until two in the morning. Dr. Reilly called to let us know that Dustin was going to live, but he’d be in the hospital for quite a while even after he recovered physically, maybe months. When dad sent us to bed, neither one of us really slept. Brett was feeling better after talking with my dad, but I could tell that he was still really shaken up by what had happened. My mind never really settled down either. We both tossed and turned and alternately went from holding each other to being on opposite sides of the bed to eventually finding somewhere in between. I lightly stroked his back and he eventually fell asleep. I finally got to sleep soon afterward, only to wake up in terror from a nightmare involving Dustin and a lot of blood. It was going to take me a while to get over what happened that night.

Next time: The Nuclear Option
Copyright © 2017 jkwsquirrel; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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On 8/11/2017 at 0:29 AM, droughtquake said:

Hopefully, all these experiences will help Billy to gain some maturity and the confidence to do something the next time he’s confronted by a similar situation in the future instead of overthinking everything and never reacting until it’s too late.  ;-)

Thanks DQ,

 

This was a case of Billy not over-thinking things and just doing what needed to be done.  Sometimes that works well.  Sometimes it leads to trouble.

  • Like 2
On 8/11/2017 at 0:40 AM, Benji said:

B)............I don't think Billy is stupid, naive, oblivious yes, but stupid no!  Look how quickly he reacted towards Dustin, he didn't panic and did exactly the right things from applying the tourniquet to his arms and then  carrying him to get help. He remained calm in the situation while Brett fell apart, then he rationalized with Brett over his perceived guilt of speaking out on Dustin.  Is the Smith home a scene of a crime? I have to ask why Dustin was naked? Was he dad going after Dustin again and stripped when mama walked in?  Did she lose her mind with her husband? Hopefully they are both dead in a murder/suicide and Dustin is his state of mind took the beer and slashed his wrists at his favorite haunt. Great chapter! But what was Dustin's revenge?

 

On 8/11/2017 at 0:43 AM, droughtquake said:

He ruined Brent’s carpet and spoiled Billy & Brett’s rendezvous?  ;-)

 

On 8/11/2017 at 0:47 AM, Benji said:

 

B)............. Yeah, Brett did make a big deal about that, but given his state of mind I thought it was ravings. But although no fault on Dustin, he did manage to ruin their planned evening!! :rolleyes:

Thanks Benji,

 

I've always thought of Billy as one of those kids who is incredibly smart but then forgets how to tie his own shoes.  He over-thinks things to the point of inaction.  He thinks of all the "ifs."  "If I do 'x', then 'y' will happen, and everyone will hate me."  In this chapter, it was a crisis and his friend was dying.  No time to think, just react.  Sometimes that works well, other times, it goes nuclear.

 

Dustin's revenge was that he tried to kill himself.  It was an "I'll show you!" to his parents and the world.  He stole the one thing in the world that his father actually loves and he drank it all, ironically saving his own life by getting so blasted that his body's processes slowed down enough for Billy to have time to find him.  The nakedness was for literary reasons.  It made him more vulnerable.  But he is a sixteen year old kid who was blitzed out of his mind drunk, so at some point during that night I guess he shucked his clothes!  And he did ruin a really nice carpet, but that was Billy's fault, not Dustin's!  Seeing how fast Dr. Reilly got home after Brett called her, it seems that their night was destined to be ruined one way or another.

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On 8/11/2017 at 0:55 AM, glennish said:

Billy showed some great maturity in this chapter.   I know that he failed to understand Dustin's "talk" in the woods and the possibility of suicide, probably thought Dustin was running away but idk if many teens would realize that possibility.  But when Brett was having his meltdown and yelling Billy spoke to him calmly and talked him down.   The love of the two boys is truly special.   

 

Next up - the nuclear option???   Who is gonna go nuclear on whom???  B&B on the Smiths?   Dustin on the boys?   Brett or Billy's mothers on them?   Joey is still lurking,  could the nuclear option involve him???  

 

More questions than answers...... Ugh....have to wait another week to find out what what and who....dang it!!!

 

thanks for the chapter Jeff. 

Thanks glennish!

 

I agree.  Billy was certainly not thinking that Dustin would do what he did.  From Billy's perspective, the last time he'd seen Dustin before their conversation he'd beat the crap out of Brett and was bawling and raving like a lunatic.  Suddenly, he seems okay, he even told Billy he loves him and kissed him.  Billy wasn't thinking that Dustin had snapped.  He appeared to Billy to be getting better, and was speaking calmly and rationally.  Of course, that calm demeanor was because Dustin already knew what he was going to do.  Many times the last sign of someone planning to commit suicide isn't something crazy, it's that the craziness suddenly is replaced by an eerie calm.  Ironically, Billy's love for Brett saved Dustin's life, because Billy wouldn't have been in those woods that night if he wasn't going to show Brett his license.

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On 8/11/2017 at 0:55 AM, mogwhy said:

 

to a degree, i understand Dustin's pain and what he is going. BTDT, just not to the severity of Dustin. my first attempt i was about 7 and the last was at 22. i just couldn't get right. i still think about it, just not doing it. i've gotten people out of bad situations. was a foster parent when i was healthier. i've talked people down from jumping. but you telling me i'd be missed? you're wrong

 

On 8/11/2017 at 1:00 AM, droughtquake said:

I’d miss you!

Or you didn’t really want to succeed?

 

I’m glad you’re still here to discuss this with me!

 

On 8/11/2017 at 1:03 AM, mogwhy said:

at times i really wanted to succeed. i've been declared dead twice now and been told 10-15 times "that should have killed you". its not me keeping me here, i'm sure

As I wrote this chapter, I did it knowing that there would be some who read it for whom it would not be a story, but a reminder of the deepest and most painful memories.  I didn't write this chapter lightly, nor Dustin's story in general.  Dustin is more than just a character on a page for so many.  We've watched him grow up, cried with him, wanted so much better for him than his lot in life.  We've watched his life go off the rails and spiral out of control until the inevitable crash.  And I knew that this moment would eventually come, and it would be a painful moment.  It's my silly hope that a story can have an impact, can reach into the dark places that we don't like to talk about.  Maybe a "Dustin" out there reads the story or this conversation and comes to realize that their thoughts and feelings are not evil, and that there are others who have been on the same road, been damaged by this thing called life, but are still standing.  I truly believe we're all here for a reason, that our lives are worth living, and that even our pain may become something that changes the world for good, rather than for evil.  Moggy, I'm glad you're here.  Thank you for sharing a portion of your life's story with us.

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On 8/11/2017 at 7:01 AM, Shadow086 said:

I had a feeling it would end up like this.  I'm just glad he survived.

 

I loved Billy in this chapter.  He didn't freak out, didn't hesitate like he usually does, he just took control of the situation and saved Dustin's life.  It's a bit of a shame that it took something so drastic for Billy to finally act like the responsible adult he always claims to be.  Hopefully this isn't just a fluke and we won't see him go back to the old cowardly Billy any time soon.

 

What happens from here?  Brett's mother probably knows about them now, but I don't think she really care at the moment.  And I don't think the two scumbags will let Dustin stay in the hospital for months.  They probably wouldn't want to 'waste' all that money on him, even if they could afford it.  Someone else is going to have to step in, maybe Miss Winston.  One thing's for sure, they absolutely cannot let Dustin go back to that house.  Dustin is going to need a lot of counseling.  Will he become one of the 'freaks'?

 

Nuclear option?  I hope this is about finally getting rid of the Smiths, but I doubt it.  That's for Dustin to do once he recovers enough.  The one thing that comes to my mind is this: the boys stayed at Billy's house, and they slept close to each other.  And now it's Sunday.  Paula is bound to try to drag Billy to church, and that's a terrible idea in his current state of mind.  I'm thinking she might also make a judgemental comment about Dustin, and that will NOT go over well with Billy.  I wouldn't be surprised if the next chapter involved Billy outing himself to his mother in a fit of rage over church and Dustin.

 

It's a shame sometimes that Dustin isn't there to see how much Billy truly cares for him.  It might have helped avoid this whole mess.

 

Great job, @jkwsquirrel, it's gonna be tough to wait a whole week for the next chapter.

If Brett's finest hour was when he stood back up after getting destroyed, then this was Billy's moment to shine.  Funny how Dustin is the one who forces the boys to become the men that they are meant to be.  Everything regarding Dustin's future will have to work itself out over time.  You're on the right path regarding the next chapter, but not quite!  Billy won't out himself to his mom or anyone else.

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On 8/11/2017 at 10:41 AM, Okiegrad said:

Well, it seems as though Brett's mom got an eyeful lol.  Wonder if she will pursue the issue with Brett as to why he was in boxers with a lube stain on his butt, or just let it go?   I swear Billy and Brett can get into more trouble lol.  They seem to find it at every turn.    Great chapter, and I'm glad Dustin survived.  Now I hope he can survive mentally as well.

Thanks Okie,

 

For someone who Brett claims is never around, Dr. Reilly sure does have a way of showing up at the most inconvenient moments.

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8 minutes ago, jkwsquirrel said:

If Brett's finest hour was when he stood back up after getting destroyed, then this was Billy's moment to shine.  Funny how Dustin is the one who forces the boys to become the men that they are meant to be.  Everything regarding Dustin's future will have to work itself out over time.  You're on the right path regarding the next chapter, but not quite!  Billy won't out himself to his mom or anyone else.

That's why I sometimes think this is really Dustin's story told through Billy's eyes.  Most of what's happened so far has revolved around Dustin in one way or another.  As for the next chapter; Billy tends to spill a lot of secrets when he gets angry, and there's not doubt he'll get angry in the morning when she starts to nag him about going to church.  The argument will probably starts when Billy asks to go see Dustin at the hospital instead of going to church.

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On 8/11/2017 at 7:28 PM, Trevin Behrens said:

I think its going to be a lot of parent issues between parents and kids and parents. Also Brett's Father is still a wild card being ready to be sprung?

 

On 8/11/2017 at 11:26 PM, glennish said:

I hadn't thought of that either.  Throw together Paula and Jen.  Add some George and Mix with Brett and Billy who are emotional wrecks with whats happened to Dustin.  Put in the Pastor and Joey and we have a highly combustible mess.  If this happens the explosion could be epic with lots of nasty fallout.  If this happens I see lots of bad things. 

 

On 8/11/2017 at 11:32 PM, Shadow086 said:

We know how Paula's going to react, and George will probably try to be a calming influence.  But I don't think the Pastor and Joey will even get involved, the explosion will happen before then.

 

For the record, I don't think Jen thinks it was a lube stain in Brett's boxers...  But I don't think she really minds either way.

All very interesting ideas!  We'll see!

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On 8/12/2017 at 0:43 AM, Lisa said:

What an intense chapter, Jeff!

 

I'm thrilled B&B saved Dustin, and Dustin will live. He's going to need intense, daily therapy for years and years and years. How can one come back from this? All the physical and emotional abuse his "parents" and "sister" put him through for the past sixteen years won't just disappear in Dustin's head. Unless for some reason he gets amnesia, but I don't think that can happen without a trauma to the brain. Unless his defense mechanisms push through and he gets amnesia due to all the emotional trauma he's experienced. Idk...just speculating.

 

I agree with everyone who said Billy reacted pretty quickly with Dustin and he acted maturely when Brett was freaking out. I will confess, though, that I was :lmao: when Brett was freaking out with all the f words, especially with the 911 lady. :lol: Seriously, though, she needs to go. Don't they have to respond to all calls?

 

I was a little confused when Dr. Reilly showed up so quickly. I thought she was away at some book press tour or something. She wasn't coming home until Wednesday, right? How on earth did she show up before the EMTs? (Btw: the plural of EMT is EMTs. The possessive form of EMT would be EMT's: The EMT's jacket is hanging on the door.)

 

As usual, Mr. Squirrel, I am anxiously awaiting the next nuclear chapter!! haha

Thanks Lisa!

 

The good thing is that people, for all our frailties are incredibly resilient.  Dustin is tougher than he appears, and with a lot of help he can recover.  This isn't the last we'll hear about the 911 call.  But I think we can safely assume that Brett was not above placing a prank call in his younger years.

 

Sorry for the confusion about the sequence of events.  I have a timeline that I use to keep things organized for myself.  Here it is:

 

Oh yeah, SPOILER ALERT!!!

 

Saturday March 15, 2003 – Brett’s birthday.  His mom works the whole day, forgets.

Sunday March 16, 2003 – Billy goes to church.  Brett goes to the park, sees Dustin get attacked by his dad.

Monday March 17, 2003 – Brett’s sick

Thursday March 20, 2003 – “The Prodigal Returns” Dustin visits Billy

Friday March 21, 2003 – “A Close Shave” Billy visits Brett

Sunday March 23, 2003 – “Hero of the Day” Brett confronts Carol

Thursday March 27, 2003 – “The Boiler Room Incident” George knows

Sunday March 30, 2003 – “Brett’s Reward” Dustin vs. Brett

Monday March 31, 2003 – “End of the Road” Billy talks to Miss Winston

Tuesday April 1, 2003 – Dustin’s birthday

Wednesday April 2, 2003 – Frank returns, Dr. Reilly returns, Dustin kisses Billy

Saturday April 5, 2003 – "Dustin's Revenge" Dustin’s suicide attempt.

Sunday April 6, 2003 – “The Nuclear Option”

Tuesday April 8, 2003 – “The Locked-Down Unit”

Saturday April 12, 2003 – “Intuition”

Sunday April 13, 2003 – “Fallout”

Wednesday-Friday April 16-18, 2003 – “The Cabin”

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2 hours ago, Shadow086 said:

That's why I sometimes think this is really Dustin's story told through Billy's eyes.  Most of what's happened so far has revolved around Dustin in one way or another.  As for the next chapter; Billy tends to spill a lot of secrets when he gets angry, and there's not doubt he'll get angry in the morning when she starts to nag him about going to church.  The argument will probably starts when Billy asks to go see Dustin at the hospital instead of going to church.

That is certainly one of the stories within the story that Billy is telling!

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On 8/13/2017 at 6:33 PM, jkwsquirrel said:

Sunday March 30, 2003 – “Brett’s Reward” Dustin vs. Brett

Monday March 31, 2003 – “End of the Road” Billy talks to Miss Winston

Tuesday April 1, 2003 – Dustin’s birthday

Wednesday April 2, 2003 – Frank returns, Dr. Reilly returns, Dustin kisses Billy

Saturday April 5, 2003 – "Dustin's Revenge" Dustin’s suicide attempt.

Nowhere in the "End of the Road" chapter did Billy mention Dustin's Birthday.  Please tell me that Billy didn't forget, and that was another thing that pushed Dustin to the suicide attempt....

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I agree with the previous comments. Billy showed maturity in this chapter by acting quick and calmly towards the situation.

I'd like to add that this somehow mirrors his guilt in the "The Broken Boy" where he thought about what he could've done if he was there with his grandmother and his father when they are on the brink of death. 

This time, he was actually there and manages to save Dustin's life.

Great parallel!

  • Like 1
On ‎6‎/‎20‎/‎2020 at 10:15 AM, noahthesmallpotato said:

I agree with the previous comments. Billy showed maturity in this chapter by acting quick and calmly towards the situation.

I'd like to add that this somehow mirrors his guilt in the "The Broken Boy" where he thought about what he could've done if he was there with his grandmother and his father when they are on the brink of death. 

This time, he was actually there and manages to save Dustin's life.

Great parallel!

I hadn't even thought of that, but you're right!  Just imagine how he would have blamed himself if Dustin had succeeded!

  • Like 1

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