I've Got You - 7. Chapter 7

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I've Got You
Part Seven
nuday101@hushmail.com

Chevy met me as I parked in front of the house. Normally Joey and Ford were right behind him, but I didn't see them. I rang the front bell as Catty scurried away. The house seemed deserted. This was different than before, but so much had changed in the last few weeks.

I looked in the front window and saw no movement. I went around back, the old boat was wet and sitting on the shore, no one was around. I even peeked into the garage. I saw something covered long and low, but the door was locked and there was no Hank.

I should have called and told him I wanted to see him, I thought. This wasn't the time for surprises, but now no one was there to talk to, or tell how I felt, what I wanted and whose opinion really did matter to me. I got back in my car and went home. Maybe tomorrow at school I'll tell him we need to talk. Maybe we'll have lunch together. Maybe that's too much to start with.

We'll see.

Monday morning off to school, I did try calling Joey, but no answer. He never recharged his phone. Baxter saw me and thanked me again. Greg wanted to know how I made out; he had lost a bundle at the poker game. I told him I had fun, but really had more to drink than I should have. I looked for Joey near his first class, but he didn't show and the bell rang so I moved on. It was at lunch that I heard a few guys talking.

"Yeah man can you imagine getting gator bit?" said one kid.

"Maybe the little faggot had his dick chomped off, serves him right," another one laughed.

"I heard he died," from a third.

I grabbed him by the shirt. "Who, who was bitten by a gator?" I yelled in his face.

"Chill man it was that blond queer kid that sits over there with the weird people. No loss, man."

I smashed his face, his nose went flat. “Where is he?"

"Hey who the hell do you think you are? I should kick your ass for hitting him like that," said one of the three.

"Touch him and I'll have my father sue you so fast your balls will spin," said Baxter, backing me up."

Wow! Way to go Baxter, I thought.

"I need to know where he is, someone tell me tell me now!" I demanded.

The first kid: "My mom's a nurse at City Hospital, they have him in intensive care over there," he said, backing away from me.

I ran out of the lunchroom and to my car. I drove as fast as I could, making sure not to get pulled over, that would just waste time.

At the hospital I asked where intensive care was. They sent me to the third floor. Coming off the elevator, I was stopped by a very assertive acting guard, she insisted that I give her my name and take a seat.

I told her I was Thomas Jenkins and I needed to go back and see Joey Simmons.

"Have a seat young man this is intensive care and only next of kin or close family friends are allowed back there," she said, stating the rule that was posted above her head.

"What are you to Joey Simmons anyway?" she asked.

What am I to Joey Simmons? There's a question that could take a lifetime to answer.

"I'll need to understand your relationship to Joey Simmons before I can consider allowing you to see him,” she continued.

“My relationship to Joey is... my relationship to Joey is... my relationship to Joey is...”

"I love him."

Before the guard could react to that, a nurse came into the room and asked

"Excuse me are you here to see Joseph Simmons?'

"Yes I am."

"Are you Thomas?"

"Yes."

"You'll need to come with me quickly." She turned and went down the hall.

I caught up with her and followed her into a room. There were machines beeping and monitors blinking. Mrs. Simmons saw me and came over to give me a hug. Not quite as good a Memaw, but it was a mom hug.

"How is he doing?” I asked, looking into her eyes.

"You need to go to him, it's not good," she said and broke into tears.

I moved to the bed. They had him hooked to everything. There were wires and tubes hooked to all parts of his body, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow and shallow.

"Please God, don't let me lose him now. I know I want him, let me keep him. My only hope is I've got you."

I took his hand, leaned down to his face; I kissed him on the cheek, and my tears dropping to his face, making a river down to his chin. A lake formed in his dimple.

I whispered in his ear, "I'm here, I love you and I'm glad I've got you."

You won't believe this, but it's the truth. The machines flashed all at once. Then they started to move faster, look better. The nurse ran in from the front desk.

"What happened?" she asked.

Hank smiled and said, "Joey got a wake up call."

The nurse checked his vital signs and they were getting stronger. She saw I was holding his hand and she said to me.

"You're not leaving him are you?"

"No, never again." The beeping got louder.

His mom gave me a hug; she was getting better at it.

Then Hank explained, “Joey was feeding gators and the big bull rammed the little boat just right, tipping it over. The bull grabbed Joey by the leg and pulled him down into the water, but not before he let out a scream. Gloria was in the garden and jumped into the second boat. She took Chevy and Ford with her. When they reached the area where the gator had taken Joey down, the dogs jumped in and dived below the surface.”

Mrs. Simmons took over the story.

"I could see the water boil below me, blood came up all around me. Other gators were coming in; I beat them off with a paddle. Soon Chevy came up with Joey. He was bitten on his hands and arms and bleeding badly from his leg. I reached in the water and pulled him into the boat. I can't tell you where the strength came from to do that," she remarked.

Hank began, "When they came back to shore, she had Joey and Chevy. We never knew what happen to poor old Ford, but I guess he fought to his death helping to free Joey. Those dogs love him so."

I sat near him, holding his hand; breath in breath out, I smiled thinking about that. Hank asked if I would stay with him, he and Mrs. Simmons had been here all night and she had some business to take care of at the house.

I assured them I wouldn't leave him; I would be here for him, not matter what he needed or how long it took. A bit dramatic, but they smiled and left.

I called Aunt Jean at work and told her what had happened. She offered to come sit with me, but I said I needed time alone with Joey, but she could come later. She agreed.

Hours went by; a nurse came in every thirty to forty minutes checking on his vital signs. They seemed to improve as the day moved along. It was late in the afternoon; it was just Joey and me. The adrenalin rush had subsided and the room was warm. I closed my eyes, just for a minute.

Falling, falling, I'm going down, I'm falling.

I felt a hand grab me, not much strength but the touch woke me as I was sliding off the bed.

It was Joey, smiling and in a small voice he said, "I've got you."

I held his hand as we talked. “I'm sorry I hit you." I said.

"Its okay, the words hurt the most, I just didn't expect that from you is all."

"I never wanted to hurt you. It's just that you were man enough to know who you were and what you wanted. I was still a kid, afraid of the monster in the closet. That and when I thought about you doing what we had been doing with other guys, I lost it."

"Tommy, I said I liked guys I didn't say I stood on the street corner giving blow jobs to each one that came by."

"I know, but if you know you're gay you must have...." I stammered

"I figured out I was gay a while back, but I never acted on it until I met you. Even then I was about to tell you we didn't have to do anything when you reached out and changed everything."

"I know I started it. So I pushed you into it then?" I said somewhat mournful.

"No, I'm glad we did it, now I know I love being with you and I never want to do it with anyone but you." Joey was holding my hand, his eyes looking through me.

"What about you, have you had sex with anyone other than me?" now smiling at me.

I thought for a moment about my busy week and said, "Yeah, a few times."

"What?" His voice was cracking with interest.

"I told you about my friend Ryan back in Ohio, he and I hit puberty about the same time and started with the normal ‘I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours.’ By about fourteen we had worked up to jacking each other. Then there was Baxter and Sarah over the weekend." I was blushing, but wanted to be honest.

"Baxter, Ryan and Sarah; you are such a slut," he said with a laugh and a wink.

I became serious, my face showing anger, and I stood, pulled away from his hand and walked toward the door.

"No wait Tommy, I was kidding, please don't leave, please I need you, Tommy please."

I reached the door and looked back and said. "So you think I'm a slut, huh?" I closed the door and looked back smiling, “I'll show you what kind of slut I am." I moved back to his bed.

"Ah Tommy maybe you better not, I mean I need you to know, well..." he was smiling and squirming knowing full well what was coming.

I pushed my hand under the sheets. I found his leg, and I moved above the huge bandage covering the gator bite. I found his hospital gown; I moved up heading for my prize. It was already in my minds eye. A soft, fuzzy ball sack, warm, long dick under a blanket of furry blond hair. I loved rubbing my face in them and I could feel it as I reached up and...

“It's gone!”

My hand pulled back. He said, "I tried to warn you."

I pulled the sheets off. I could see some of the scrapes on his leg where the gator had scratched his skin. I pulled the hospital gown away and looked. There was a hairless ball sack, below his beautiful dick and shaved pubic area. I laughed.

"You look like a little boy!" I was laughing.

"Look again pal, the dick you're holding is no little boy dick," he proclaimed proudly.

He was right about that. My hand wrapped around it as it was growing.

"Don't worry, it will all grow back," he said somewhat defensively.

"I kind of like it, its cute,” I smiled.

"Oh well, when you decide how you want my dick to look please let me know."

We laughed together.

I moved my hand off his smooth balls when I heard the door opening. It was the nurse and behind her was Aunt Jean.

The nurse was surprised that Joey was awake and so alert.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, Tommy got me up." Wink, wink.

I blushed and Jean smiled.

Aunt Jean took my place while I hit the head. She really cared for Joey and that was just fine with me. Not long after Aunt Jean arrived, Mrs. Simmons and Hank returned.

They were happy to see Joey so alert and smiled and thanked me for staying with him.

I asked Mrs. Simmons if she had taken care of her business.

Hank laughed and said, "As soon as we got home, Gloria took the shotgun out on the lake and blew the head off that bull gator."

Okay, remember never make her angry, I said to myself.

We all talked for a while, but soon the doctor said all but one had to leave.

"Please I want to stay," I begged. Mrs. Simmons said that would be fine, but to call if there were any problems.

Aunt Jean said she would go by school tomorrow and get any assignments for Joey and me so that we could keep up with school, and if we did, I could stay as long as I wished.

It took a week before he was able to get out of bed and walk with my help. Most of his scars would heal and the infection cleared in just a few days. Once they took all the tubes out of him I was able to help him to the bathroom. I made that a fun trip each time.

Finally the doctor said he could go home the next day, but needed to rest at least a week before going back to school.

Mrs. Simmons asked me to come over and help her get his room ready. He would need a hospital bed and a walker. Hank was at work so it was just the two of us. She took me into her office. The curtains were open and it was nice and bright, so much different than before. She had books everywhere. I spotted one of my favorites from middle school, "Wandering Waters" by Gloria Burton. It was a coming of age story about a young boy and his Grandfather who owned a lake and all the land around it. The boy convinced the older man to let go of the land and allow others to enjoy the lake too. It had won "The Nuday Award" and was displayed with seven other books by Gloria Burton.

"Wow, this was one of my favorite books,” I told her. “I didn't know the author had written so many others," I said.

"That was the only Young Readers book I have ever written and the only one to receive an award," she laughed.

"You wrote Wandering Waters? You're Gloria Burton?" I was both surprised and impressed.

"Thomas, that book was about my father, before he died, and his relationship with Joey. This lake we all live on, you know, Lake Burton, was named for him," she explained.

"You mean all this land was your family’s and the book I read as a kid was about Joey?" it was coming to me slowly.

"Yes Thomas, I guess Joey has been in your life longer than you knew," she smiled.

Wow, I had no idea. Now I knew why I felt the way I did when I first met him, that and he was so cute. Plus Joey may be richer than any of my other friends and me, how cool.

I related the story back to Joey as I drove him home from the hospital. He thought it was cool that I had read the book about him growing up and losing his Granddad. He said it had always been his favorite book too.

I wanted to be the one to bring Joey home and give him his first ride in my Jag. We arrived at his house and pulled up in the driveway where Hank was waiting next to a long low something, completely covered. He uncovered a cherry red 1971 Jaguar XKE. Hank told us it was the last year the "E" Series Jaguar was produced and it was very rare.

Now Joey and I would both have Jags, one more thing to share. Mrs. Simmons came out with a surprise too. She had in her arms a new Boxer puppy. She said it would be up to Joey and me to raise and take care of him. We of course called him Jag. Chevy was happy to have a new friend.

I stayed with them all week. I did have to go back to school but would give him something to remember each morning, returning to receive a very warm welcome home.

Baxter came by a few times and got to know Joey, so did Greg and Sarah. I think she knew that Joey was her replacement, but handled it pretty well.

Joey could see that she was a little hurt and said to me, "I'm sorry she lost you, but I'm very glad to know..."

"I've got you."

He had me all right, back then and today our love stays strong.

The Rest of the Story

I won't tell you that all was wonderful from then on because this is not a fairy tail, sorry about the pun. School was hard; I never got into the whole coming out thing.

Joey and I went on to college, moving to a university about two hours north. The first year we tried dorm life, not much privacy. So we bought a condo within walking distance to the campus. It has a garage for Joey's '57 Chevy and my new Cadillac XLR-V.

Now in our junior year, Joey plans to be a naturist like his grandfather. He hopes to do his part to save the natural waterways and wild life that make Florida so wonderful. Knowing Joey as I do, I know he'll make a difference.

I fell in love with government. I was president of our high school club in our senior year and hold a high office now in the university club. I plan to do my share to bring government back to the people.

Baxter is up here too. He came out in High School. He tuned into a real flamer. After joining the gay and lesbian club, he soon took it over. He is all about being gay and will help others have a better understand someday. He was one of the lucky ones. His parents embraced him for who he was and support him in everyway. Mr. Peoples never ran for governor, and still enjoys the spotlight from his billboards.

Greg and Sarah found each other after I let her go. They are attending a local university both taking their time going through school while they raise their two children. I told you she was fast.

Byron is becoming a preacher. I know his congregation will pay attention.

I convinced Gloria to write another book for Young Readers. This one is seen through the eyes of Chevy and Ford. It's really quite good and can be found in most middle school libraries.

Hank retired from the Post Office. He spends his days working on his cars, taking several breaks to sit on the porch or out by the lake with Gloria. They are doing more to enjoy each other's company and are even planning a trip to Europe. Joey and I are cheering them on.

Uncle Ray won the Karlington account as well as the Jaguar dealership. Lately he smiles more than Joey.

Aunt Jean is like a mom to both Joey and me. We bring her our problems and share with her our joys. She is a good listener, allowing us to find our own way. She loves us both and we feel the same in return.

Chevy heads to the dock every afternoon. He sits looking out at the lake waiting. Jag doesn't understand, he just goes along.

**********

The important point to the story is that Thomas found happiness. He did it by opening his heart and being true to himself. I wish you the same opportunity, and hope you find someone to whom you can say, “I'm glad...”

"I've Got You."

The End

Thanks to Pete for editing.
Drop me a note at nuday101@hushmail.com and tell me what you think.