A Ticklish Thriller - 7. Much Ado About Mikey

Mikey

The closer he got to the hairpin turn, the more Mikey began to sweat. Suddenly, something Papa Tony taught him, came to mind. The brunette took a deep breath, and hoped it worked. “Girl, if we both survive this, I’m gonna give you a spa treatment every month, for the rest of your mechanical life. God, please let this work.” Mikey put his hazard flashers on, then gripped the steering wheel firmly, with his left hand, and, shifted down to the low gear. After saying another quick prayer, the twenty-two year old, slowly applied the emergency brake. As expected, the car got harder to control, but he noticed his efforts working. Mikey kept his eyes on the road, and the cluster of trees he was approaching. Thankfully, this wasn’t a very busy road. A little to his left, he saw an opening between two trees. After a quick mental calculation, he determined the space was just about wide enough to stop the Explorer, without too much damage. “Here goes everything. Hang in with me girl.” Mikey aimed the truck for the opening, and braced himself as best he could for the impact.

Mikey’s calculation was correct. The Explorer’s front end was wedged between the two tree’s with not an inch to spare. The sudden stop jarred Mikey’s body, and he bumped his head against the steering wheel. He shook his head, gingerly brushed his fingers across his forehead, and felt the knot forming. Mikey blinked a couple times, and looked around. After making sure his vision wasn’t blurred, he began a quick body scan. He noticed a bit of pain in his back, but that was to be expected, with the impact. “Thank you old girl. As soon as you’re all fixed up, you’re getting a new paint job, the works.” Mikey praised his Explorer, and kissed the dashboard. “Thank you God.” The brunette unbuckled his seat belt, slipped on his jacket, and grabbed the brick. He opened the door, accidentally stepped in a gopher hole, and twisted his ankle. Falling to his knees, Mikey yelped from the sharp, sudden pain. Sitting on the ground, he pulled out his cell phone, and called Tony.

“Hey Papa Tony….. I uh had an accident, on the way to Lance’s…… I’m at the bottom of the hill, on Bear Claw Road.….. No, with the weather we’re expecting, I drove the Explorer…. I hit my head on the steering wheel, there’s a knot on my forehead, no blurred vision, slight back pain from the impact…. Yeah, I think I do need to go to the hospital, and get checked out. I got out of the truck just fine, but fell in a gopher hole, and twisted my ankle…. Thanks Papa….. My brakes failed, I was gaining speed going downhill, I started panicking, but remembered what you taught me…. About shifting to low gear, and slowly applying the emergency brake. Thank you for teaching us that….. Would you stop chuckling, Papa…. I know, it’s my luck to survive something like this, and then hurt myself falling in a gopher hole….. You’re on your way? Good, you’re not gonna like it, but I do have something to give you, and tell you about…. I love you too Papa…. I’ve got a message coming in…. See you in a few minutes.” Mikey ended the call, and opened the video message. He gasped, and almost dropped the phone, when he saw his accident on the screen. At the end, it read. “You were lucky f****. Next time, I will kill your sorry, fucking ass. DIE F*****.” Mikey made sure hie saved it. Then wrapped his coat tighter around his shivering body, and waited for his Papa Tony to arrive, with the ambulance. “God, I’m gonna be in such deep shit, when this gets around.” Mikey couldn’t help thinking to himself.

Lance

Lance kept looking out the window, and checking his watch. “Where is he? Mikey should be here by now.” He was about to start his pacing again, when a message came through. Thinking it was his brother, Lance opened it, without looking at who sent it. Tears filled his eyes when he saw a video of the spray painted brick, before it hit Mikey’s window. Then it switched to the spray painted Explorer, the note on the library door, and finally, he saw Mikey’s accident, and the words. “I’ll kill the f**** next time.” at the end. Lance was shaking, and trembling. His tears blurred his vision, as he feverishly worked to save the video. He then dried his tears, and sent a text with the video, to the entire family, including Dakota. The young man grabbed his keys, gun, and coat. He made sure the door was locked, jumped into his Dodge Ram, placed the revolver in the glove box, and headed for the crash site. “Please, please God, don’t take Mikey. I don’t think I could take that.” Lance fervently prayed, while trying to hold back his tears, so he didn’t wreck his truck.

Dakota

As soon as he walked in the door, Dakota looked around his apartment. That’s when the realization hit, he’d be having company that evening. Rapidly, the young officer, toed off his shoes, then padded to the kitchen in his sock clad feet. He dumped out the old coffee, and started brewing another pot. Next, Dakota began picking up the bits of discarded clothing, he’d left on the floor, after getting the call about Mikey’s discovery. It took him about twenty minutes, to gather up all the dirty laundry, scattered throughout the home. By that time, the apartment was filled, with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. After he’d started the first load, Dakota fixed himself a cup of the steaming, liquid ambition, and got comfortable on the couch. Once the first load was done, he got them in the dryer, and started the second. Finally, about three hours later, he’d completely cleaned his living space, and had clean clothes, and towels.

The twenty-seven year old lit a candle, and knelt at his altar. “Hey guys, I’m sorry for being so abrupt last night. My dinner showed up….” He chuckled. “Yes, Mama a stuffed crust pizza….. I know, I’m not getting any younger, and need to watch what I eat…..” Dakota, and his Mom had this conversation so often, it was second nature to the young man. He could hear the loving tone, hidden behind the scold. “Mama, Dad, you’re gonna meet Mikey this evening…. I know you’ll love him, as much as I do….. Yes, Dad, he knows you’re dead, and I explained the talks we still have….. Mama, he was so loving, and understanding. He told me, you two must be exceptional, to have raised such a loving son…. I had to stay with him, and my two new brothers last night….. Mikey found a body, and his brothers have welcomed me to the family. I’ve got three new brothers….” Before he could continue, Dakota felt a sudden pain, shoot through his heart. “Mama, Daddy, I need to leave. I can feel Mikey needs me…. It’s like you said Dad, when a pain shoots through your heart, like an arrow, you’ll know when your true love is in need. That just happened. I love you guys.” A message came through, right as Dakota blew out the candle. He saw it came from Lance, and immediately opened it. Tears began making a trail down his cheek, and a pained gasp, escaped the half Cherokee man’s lips. “Angel boy.”

Mikey, Lance, & Tony

Lance arrived first, his apartment was only a minute away. The twenty year old, put his hazard flashers on. Then carefully, pulled the truck onto the curb. He saw Mikey, sitting on the ground, obviously lost in thought. Lance, gently closed the door, so his brother wouldn’t jump from surprise. The tears streamed down his face, when he saw the actual words on his brother’s truck. So many emotions were swirling around in the young man’s head. Relief, that Mikey was okay, fear for his safety, anger towards both Mikey, and Janice, for very different reasons, and hope, that this was a wake up call for his headstrong older brother. Lance was definitely saddened, and feeling the loss of Sean, but that would be nothing compared to him losing Mikey, or any of his family. Slowly, Lance walked over to his brother, wrapped his arms around his older brother, kissed his cheek, and cried on the brunette’s shoulder. “I...I love you, Mikey. Don’t leave me, not yet.”

When he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, Mikey, slightly gasped. Then he calmed down, hearing his brother’s soft voice. The desperate pleading in Lance’s voice, brought tears to the brunette’s eyes. “I’m fine, baby boy. Don’t worry, I’m too cute to die this soon.” The comment, made them both chuckle.

“I know Janice painted your truck. I guess she broke your window with the brick, and taped your accident. I received a video clip of everything, from her angle. What happened with the Explorer?”

Lance’s statement, and question made Mikey visibly shiver. “I’m sure it was nothing. Just brake failure.” What he heard next, made him cringe.

“Cut the fuckin’ bullshit. I know you’re just trying to sugar coat things for me. That stops right, the fuck now. I’m not a little kid anymore. You don’t have to shield, and protect me from the truth. Goddamn it Michael, you just told me last night, about promising your boyfriend, as well as our brothers, you’d let us help, and keep you safe. I can’t believe you’d be so reckless with your life, after what happened to Sean.” Lance had to pause, his tears and emotions were choking him.

Mikey’s tears were streaming down his cheeks. He was cursing himself, for getting Lance this worked up. “Lance, I…”

“No, Mikey, you’ll listen to what I have to say.” Lance took a deep breath, placed both hands on Mikey’s cheeks, and their tear filled eyes stared deeply into each other. “Michael… Dante… Carter”

Mikey flinched with each pause between his name. He tried to look away, but Lance wouldn’t let him.

Lance continued. “If you fuckin’ die, because you’re being completely stupid, and pigheaded, I’ll never forgive you. When I die, my spirit, will tie yours down, and make you eat creamed chipped beef, topped with whipped cream, and chocolate covered cherries, for all eternity.” After the initial shock of Lance’s outburst passed, both brothers cracked up with uncontrollable laughter.

“I….I’m sorry Lance, for worrying you. I never meant to freak you out. Seriously, I was about to call Dakota when the window got broken, but just when I started to call, you called. After that, I was so concerned about you, that I completely forgot about me. I love you, you’re my baby brother. Can you forgive me?” Mikey clung to his brother, and sobbed into his shoulder.

“Of course, I forgive you, ya big idiot. I love you, I couldn’t bear to lose you.” The two cried on each other’s shoulders.

“Mikey, all the family’s spirits will help Lance.” The two young men turned, and saw Tony with his arms across his chest. Neither one knew, he’d witnessed the whole scene of Lance telling his other son off. “Son, are you okay?” Tony asked with every ounce of love and concern in his body.

“I think so Papa. I’m just sore, and my ankle’s throbbing like hell.”

“The ambulance is on its way. Oh, what did you send me Lance, I didn’t have a chance to look at it.” Before anyone could say another word, all three men’s cell phones started going off at once. Finally, after a few minutes of hearing different conversations at once, Tony had the boys tell everyone on their end, they’d be informed of the hospital, and would be brought up to speed there. Lance also whispered something in Tony’s ear. “Oh, Dakota, Lance just informed me, there’s gonna be a brothers meeting at the hospital to discuss how to corral Mikey, and get him to be more careful. I love you too, Dakota.” With all the calls ended, Tony opened Lance’s message, and fumed as soon as it finished. “This is Commissioner Knight, I want a wrecker at the bottom of Bear Claw Road, and we need to go over every inch of my son’s Explorer.” Tony replaced his phone, then hugged both boys.

“Thanks Papa.” Mikey said, kissing Tony’s cheek.

“Don’t thank me yet, young man. You’ve got a very concerned firing squad that’ll be waiting at whatever hospital you go to. Including me. Now, where’s that brick, and note?”

Mikey gulped, and pulled out the requested items. “My prints aren’t on anything, except the baggie.”

“Good boy. At least you used your head that time.” Tony took the baggie, and placed it in his car. “Mikey, you need to start taking this more seriously. This isn’t one of the mysteries you love reading, this is your life.” Tony wiped his tears, and hugged his boys. “I know, I’m not your birth father, and didn’t do very much of your raising, but that’s not what’s important to me, Mama Pam, or your brothers. Looking out for you, loving you, and knowing you’re safe is what’s important.”

Mikey was having a hard time controlling his emotions. “But, why me? I’m just…. Well, Mikey….

“Bro, you have to ask that, really?” Tony, and Lance looked at Mikey with shocked expressions.

“Mikey, you’re the heart of this blended family. That’s what makes you special. It’s the way you love, without holding back, you’re willingness to go out of your way to help others. Hell, you dress up in costumes to match whatever book you’re reading to the kids at the library. I can’t count, the number of people you’ve helped graduate, because you tutored them. You’re the one everyone goes to when they need a smile, or one of your hugs. Your energy, and spirit lights up everything, wherever you are.” Tony wiped his tears, and kissed the younger man.

“I… I’m sorry Papa Tony. I love you, and this family. I guess it was kinda stupid for me to be going places alone.” Mikey really smiled, for the first time since everything happened.

“I just noticed something, you were damn lucky to end up where you did.” Lance said, after looking at the accident again.

“Well, seeing the break in the trees, and aiming my girl was luck. The rest, was calculating whether or not the Explorer would fit.” Tony, and Lance stared open mouthed at the brunette. Mikey slightly shrugged his shoulders, and giggled.

The ambulance, and wrecker arrived. Lance volunteered to ride with Mikey, and Tony drove the Ram back, with an officer following in the Commissioner’s car. Lance quickly sent a text to everyone, telling them where they were going.

At The Hospital

Mikey was already going through a slightly painful, and very ticklish examination, by the time everyone arrived. Dakota was the last to get there. As soon as he walked in the waiting room, he was holding an emotional Lance in his arms.

“How is he, it’s not bad is it?” Dakota asked giving everyone hugs, and introducing himself to the other parents.

“I think he’ll be fine, just a bad sprain. He got out of the truck ok, but then stepped in a gopher hole.” Tony said, he was trying to do his best to keep a straight face, but was failing miserably.

“Wait, that’s how he hurt his ankle? Not from the accident?” Lance, and everyone but Dakota started cracking up.

“Umm, I may be completely crazy, but why is this funny? Don’t you people love Mikey?” Dakota’s upset, and confused tone brought everyone back down.

“Bro, we’re not laughing because Mikey got hurt. We’re not evil bastards, like Sean’s parents.” Adam paused, and saw the even more confused look Dakota had. “I’ll explain later. Anyway, we’re laughing, because Mikey just crashed his truck, his luck held out, and he was fine until he got out of the Explorer. That’s when he really got hurt. Mikey’s always had good luck, but also, can be very clumsy, at times. His clumsiness, always seems to strike, after there’s been a major event. It’s almost like God’s saying I got you through the major crisis, now here’s your minor punishment.” After hearing the explanation, even Dakota found the humor in the situation, and joined the laughter.

“Okay, what are we gonna do about our Mikey situation?” Max Carter asked, after taking a sip of coffee. “He can’t be allowed to continue acting this way.”

“Don’t worry Papa Max, I’m already on it. I’ve called a brothers meeting, to come up with some solutions.” Lance smiled, and hugged Max.

“Son, don’t you think the collective parents should be involved?” Pam gave her youngest son an amused look.

“Nope, you oldies would just complicate things. This is better left to us younger folk.” The room was soon filled with Lance’s giggles from Max, and Bryan tickling his sides.

“Young white brother speak truth, except parents not old.” Dakota’s broken English broke everyone up. “Half Indian man may be young, but not stupid.” Chuckling, Dakota grabbed Lance around his waist, and threw the giggly squirming body over his shoulder. Then followed Adam, and Jai over to the other corner. He sat Lance down in a chair, and hugged the younger man. “I love you Lance, thank you for messaging me.”

“I told you, you’re my new brother. Of course I’d message you, Mikey needs… We all need you, Kota.”

The declaration brought tears to Dakota’s eyes. He was quickly in the middle of a group hug. “Tonight’s not a big deal. I’ve already asked Mikey to come to my place, I’ll just have him stay over. Then, bring him back in the morning before my shift.”

“That just leaves the morning, and afternoon to worry about. I’m staying over tomorrow night, and the weekend.” Lance said, as he sat on Dakota’s lap.

“One of us can come over, and help Mikey get everything ready, and whatever he needs for the dinner, this weekend. I know he’s planning a big one.” Adam kissed his fiance, and laid his head on Jai’s shoulder.

“Well that covers everything, until next week. I say we reconvene Sunday night, and come up with a schedule, so Mikey’s not alone so much.

“Umm, I guess I don’t really get a say in the matter, do I?” Hearing Mikey’s voice, everyone jumped up, and surrounded the brunette. He slightly jumped when he heard a collective NO, hollered at the same time. “I guess I had that coming. I’m just sorry, I’m being a bother to everyone. I wish you guys didn’t have to go through all this trouble.” Mikey was suddenly swept up in Dakota’s arms, Adam caught his brother’s crutches. “I love you, my brave warrior.”

“I love you too, angel boy. I was so scared I’d lost you.” Dakota carried Mikey, and sat down on the couch, cradling him. The pain killer, and stress of the day finally caught up with the twenty-two year old. Not a minute later, he was curled up, fast asleep sucking his thumb. After getting the discharge information, everyone kissed the couple, and Dakota carried Mikey to his car.