The Castaway Hotel - 6 - 37. Chapter 37 - A Setback

The next day, I got a call from the doctor’s office and he informed me he had arranged for me to take Cody to Sloan-Kettering on Monday. When I asked him why I couldn’t take him tomorrow, he explained it would take that long for them to open up a space for him, examine his records and scrutinize everything that had already been done. Seeing it was already Friday and the doctors wouldn’t do much over the weekend, it wasn’t a critical delay. He assured me he had explained the situation to them thoroughly and the doctors there decided it wouldn’t impact his situation by waiting until Monday, so I relented.

When I told him about Graham’s request, I explained I was only mentioning this because those two boys were very close. After listening to my explanation, he agreed to call the hospital and find out if this would be acceptable. Once he had his answer, he promised to let me know as soon as he could. I thanked him and emphasized I would anxiously await his next call, and then hung up. I immediately went to find Cody, so I could tell him when we’d be leaving and suggest he start packing the things he wanted to take with him.

When I reached Cody’s room, he and Graham were talking, and Graham had just finished telling Cody he wanted to go with us and why. The only difference between what Graham told Cody and what he said to me was that he omitted the part about maybe not seeing him alive again. He also didn’t tell him about the haze he saw around his body or explain about the other times this had happened.

As soon as I informed Cody about when we’d be leaving and advised him to begin packing his things, Graham asked if I’d checked yet, to see if he could go too. After I told him I had, but the doctor had to call and speak with someone in charge at the hospital, he said he’d pack his things too. He then expressed his belief they were going to allow him to go with us too, so he wanted to be ready. I told him that was fine, as long as he didn’t complain if the staff at the hospital said no. Graham said he wouldn’t, although I feared he’d tell me anything at the moment, so he didn’t ruin his chance to get me to let him join us.

When I went downstairs, I found Jake and filled him in about what was going on. He then asked if I wanted to pick Peter up now or if I preferred to stay with Cody. I hadn’t considered this also freed me up to do this as well. After thinking about it for several minutes, I decided to greet Peter at the airport, since that was what Peter’s parents expected. Jake then offered to stay home with Cody, so he could keep an eye on him and be there, if he had any problems. I agreed with his suggestion, so I went to see who was going with me.

Of course, Ricky was planning on joining me, but three of the younger boys wanted to go too. That included Cole, Sammy and Andrew. The older boys offered to stay home and help Uncle Jake and the rest said they weren’t interested in enduring another long drive, so this would be the group I’d be taking.

I hardly got any sleep that night, as various scenarios concerning Cody’s condition played out in my mind. I don’t want to go into all the situations my brain was able to conjure up, but the scenes ran the gamut of what might happen, even if it was only a remote possibility. Since these visions continually flashed before my eyes, I guess I tossed and turned most of the evening and even woke up a few times. That happened when the dream was so real or disturbing that I bolted awake.

The next morning Jake wanted to know what had been bothering me, because he said he had never seen me so restless before. He confirmed I had flipped, flopped, jerked, jumped and moaned all night long, and then he explained he almost woke me at one point, but decided against it, when I began to settle back down. For this reason, he was even more tired than I was, if that were possible.

Even though I wasn’t well rested, I still planned to drive to Kennedy airport, to get Peter. His flight was scheduled to arrive late afternoon and I didn’t want to make him wait in a strange place alone. Hurriedly, I got ready and prompted the others to do the same, if they didn’t want to get left behind. Seeing they knew I was serious, they moved quickly too and it wasn’t long before we were on our way.

The boys kept me engaged in conversation while I was driving, so I wouldn’t doze off. This made me assume Jake had said something to them before we left. We only made two brief stops along the way, to stretch our legs, use the restroom and grab drinks, so we arrived at Kennedy in plenty of time. We needn’t have worried, however, because when I looked at the arrival board, I quickly discovered Peter’s flight was running late.

We waited patiently and observed others arriving in the meantime. When Peter’s plane landed, we had to wait a little longer until he appeared. Ricky and Peter bolted toward each other the minute they made eye contact and the rest of us watched as the two hugged. Once their enthusiastic embrace ended, Ricky pulled him toward us and quickly went through the introductions. Once Ricky had finished, Peter looked at me and spoke.

“Sir, I just want to thank you for letting me come over to live with you,” he gushed. “Ricky told me you were aces, but I just never believed this would actually happen.”

After saying this, he reached out his hand for me to shake and I took it. We shook, but the minute I released him, he wrapped his arms around my waist and squeezed, catching me totally by surprise. Once he broke this embrace, he looked up at me and grinned.

“From what Ricky told me about you, Sir,” he explained, “I knew you’d like that much better.”

“I did, you’re welcome and you don’t have to call me sir,” I told him, in one breath. “You may call me Josh, Uncle Josh or Pop, but sir is just too formal.”

Peter looked confused and it took him a moment to respond. “Oh, no, sir,” he stammered, “I couldn’t call you any of those things. It just wouldn’t be right. You’re an adult and you’ve been very kind to me, so I want to show you respect.”

Now, I was confused. I needed to convince him and do it quickly, since I didn’t want him to continue calling me sir. “Ricky, will you take Peter aside and explain the situation to him for me,” I nearly begged. “I think you can do this better than I can and maybe your brothers can help you with this.”

After Ricky agreed, I went to the men’s room and freshened up; hoping by the time I got back things would be settled. As I approached them again, they were all smiles, so I concluded the situation had been handled.

“May I call you Mr. Currie,” he asked, hopefully.

“Not if you want to live in my home,” I teased, which brought a look of horror to his face. However, when the other boys started laughing, he realized I was merely joking, so I continued.

“I’d prefer something less formal,” I urged. “As I said earlier, you may call me Josh, Uncle Josh or Pop, unless you can come up with something better and not as stiff as Mr. Currie or sir.”

“Ricky said you’d say something like that, so I’ll call you pop,” he said, with a grin. “Ricky and his brothers said you’d probably like that best.”

“Indeed I would, as long as you’re comfortable with it,” I concurred. After telling me he was, the subject was closed.

From there, we went to retrieve Peter’s luggage and then carried it out to the van. Once we were ready to leave, I apologized to Peter for not being able to show him around New York City while we were here and informed him about Cody’s condition.

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that, Pop, Sir,” he offered. “I understand completely and you must take care of him first, without worrying about me. I’ll be fine with Ricky.”

“Are you sure about that?” I quipped. “From what I’ve heard, Ricky has been a royal pain in the butt, or should I have said bum, for you?” Peter started laughing and then quickly had his own retort.

“That would be bum, Pop, Sir,” he giggled, “and you’re quite right. He can be quite bonkers and quite annoying at times.”

“I understand, but let’s get something straight,” I warned him. “It’s just pop, not pop, sir.”

“Sorry, Pop, S…” he stopped before completing the final word. “It’s just that we call all male adults sir, even our teachers, so this will be hard to stop. I’ll try, but please forgive me if I forget from time to time.”

“Agreed. I’ll try to overlook it, as long as you try to control it,” I concurred.

The boys were busily talking behind me as I drove home, but I wasn’t really following their conversation. My mind was consumed with thoughts about Cody, until Peter addressed me directly.

“Pop, do your sons really run around the house and go bathing naked, as Ricky told me?” he wanted to know.

“It’s very wise of you not to believe everything Ricky tells you,” I said, “but in this case, he is correct. If possible, they prefer to run free, which doesn’t bother me at all.”

“And you wouldn’t mind if I went starkers too?” he followed, to clarify his own situation.

“If you’re comfortable doing it, it’s fine with me,” I confirmed. “Just remember, Jake, Mark and I will also be there, not just the boys, so we’ll see you too.”

“Oh, I won’t mind,” he stated. “Ricky and I did things like that with some of my mates and you’re an okay bloke. Ricky says Uncle Jake and Mark are pretty decent chaps too.”

“Then I guess it’s decided,” I announced. “Peter is officially welcome to join in the nudity at our house.” This got all the boys laughing and then I heard my group explaining who was circumcised and who wasn’t – so much for surprises.

We arrived at the house in the early evening, so I let Ricky show Peter around the house and introduce him to the others before we ate. Peter said he wasn’t too tired, since he’d been able to sleep on the plane, so I figured he’d last through dinner. Once the boys had disappeared, Jake relayed a message to me.

“The doctor called while you were out,” he informed me, “and said the hospital said it would be all right for Graham to come with you. They said it might help to keep Cody in a better frame of mind and they’d be able to make provisions for you in Cody’s room.”

I agreed it was good news, so I wouldn’t have to fight with Graham, and then I went off to notify both boys. They were ecstatic and started making plans, so I left them alone and went back to wait for Peter.

After a whirlwind tour and a series of introductions, the boys returned and Peter was all excited.

“I had a lovely walkabout, but blimey, your house is huge, Pop!” he exclaimed/ “I also love the room you put me in. Thank you, so much. Oh, and your sons are all very handsome,” he added, which made me wonder if he was really bi. Well, he did want to date Kylie, so maybe he was.

“Thank you and I’m glad you approve,” I responded.

Peter soon sat down for his first meal with us, which Jake and the older boys had prepared. Before we ate, however, I went to check on Cody. He seemed to be about the same as when I left and Graham was still attached to him by the hip, but otherwise, he was no worse than before.

“This is like a formal dinner, that you might have with some dignitary,” Peter offered. “Except at school, I don’t think I’ve ever had a meal with this many people before.” He seemed truly amazed.

“Well, get used to this, because there are times when we have many more than this,” I warned him. “When my grown children come back and the extended family is here too, we have to set up another two or three tables, to accommodate everyone.”

“You’re daft,” he replied, without meaning to insult me. “Where do you put them?”

I went on to explain how we set up for the holidays and Peter was simply astounded. “Blimey, that’s almost like going to camp,” he observed, which my sons found hilarious.

After dinner, the boys spent more time with Peter, but he finally announced he was getting tired. They told him they would show him where to wash up and then he could go to bed. Peter quickly agreed and they all went upstairs. About twenty minutes later, I heard them clomping back down the steps, but I was surprised when I looked up and saw Peter standing before me, totally starkers, as he put it.

“I thought I might as well do this now,” he offered, “so you could see my tackle and all. I hope you’re not offended.” To play this game out, I made like I was studying him carefully, checking out each millimeter of his package.

“No, it looks fine to me,” I observed. “Bloody all right, if you ask me,” I continued, which started Peter giggling.

“I didn’t know you talked like that, Pop,” he shot back. “My mum always says using the word bloody is swearing, so I didn’t expect you to say it, Sir, I mean, Pop.” All the boys were giggling now.

“You’ll fit in fine here, Peter,” I told him, “and thanks for the show.” He started giggling again.

“I knew this was going to happen eventually,” he teased, “so I wanted to get it out of the way. I felt then I wouldn’t have to worry about what I was doing or what you might think.”

“Well, I’m fine with the situation,” I agreed, “so feel free to just be one of the boys.” He giggled again and agreed he would, and then he headed upstairs to get some shut-eye.

Sunday morning, I got everyone ready and took them to church. This was an eye-opening experience for Peter, since he was used to attending an Anglican service. He did ask me several questions, in whispers, which I happily answered. The congregation also asked us many questions about him, such as who he was and how long he’d be staying with us. Once we explained the situation, most of them came up and welcomed him to our community.

After the service, we went out for brunch and Peter thoroughly enjoyed it. He was fitting in quite nicely and I was already becoming very attached to him. If it weren’t for Cody’s illness, I would also have been spending more time with him, but he seemed to understand why this wasn’t happening.

A short time after we got home, Cody came up to me and wanted to talk. I imagined he wished to discuss the trip, since we were going to be leaving in a few hours. I figured it would be best to drive most of the way there tonight and then stay in a motel. It was also possible that he was curious about what was going to happen once we got there, but boy was I wrong. What he asked me caught me totally unprepared and set my world spinning.

“Dad, I’m going to die, aren’t I?” he asked seriously, without showing much emotion. He didn’t seem panicked by the thought, but I stood speechless for a few moments, with my mouth hanging open. I wasn’t prepared to respond to his query, but finally regained my composure and answered him.

“Cody, there’s no need to think the worst will happen,” I began. “The doctors at Sloan-Kettering are some of the finest cancer specialists in the world. They’re just going to assess your situation, suggest treatment options and then we’ll go from there.

“Dad, it’s okay. I’m not scared,” he informed me. “I just wish I could stay here with you longer, because I’ve never been this happy before.”

“Cody, you’ve got to fight this thing, if you want to get better,” I urged. “Don’t give up and don’t give in to those feelings. We’ll see what the doctors have to say and then we’ll fight it. We’ll do everything they tell us to do to help you through this and we won’t give up hope, because I like having you as a son too. I’m also planning on enjoying this feeling for many years to come.”

He smiled at me when I said this and then spoke again. “Thanks, Dad, and I’d like to spend more time with you and Graham too.”

Up until this moment, I hadn’t realized he seriously harbored the thought he was dying. Of course, we both knew it was a possibility and I was mildly concerned he might be thinking about it, but for him to come right out and say it – well, I wasn’t expecting that.

I think we all realize that any time a person faces a serious illness, whether as an adult or as a child, it is only normal it would make him think about his own mortality. Although it is often harder for a younger person to consider his own vulnerability and accept the fact he is not immortal, he would seldom be willing to verbalize such a prospect. Even though such a brush with the specter of death doesn’t usually affect a young person in the same way it would an older person, it is not something he can dismiss with the same youthful nonchalance he would use when dealing with other issues. Now, I realized Cody and I would have to do some serious talking on this trip, so I could help him deal with the issues he had to confront and demons he had to battle.

Later, when it was time for us to leave, everyone was there to see us off, including our extended family. Jake and the older boys had thought ahead and notified them, so they could be here too. The boys all gave Cody a very special send off and made sure to let him know that they loved him, would be praying for him and were looking forward to having him there for a long, long time to come. They gave him a couple of little gifts to take with him, one being a small guardian angel pin, which he could wear on his collar. Their second gift to him was a large, framed family photo, which had been taken after one of the graduation ceremonies. They felt the picture would help him remember they were all behind him and would be there for him in spirit, if not in person.

Although everyone tried to keep their emotions intact in front of Cody, I could see individuals wiping their eyes, once Cody had turned in a different direction. He received plenty of cards, some money (so he could buy magazines, games, or other things to help him occupy his time) and a few other essentials. Aunt Mary and Uncle Steve gave him some new pajamas, so he hopefully wouldn’t have to wear any of those dreadful hospital gowns that showed off your behind, and the Spences gave him a selection of snacks, which he could keep in the room, for whenever he got a little hungry.

Cody made sure he thanked everyone for their gifts, before he told them he hoped to see them again soon. Then he, Graham and I packed his gifts in with our other luggage and got ready to leave.

We were taking the Grand Am on this trip, so Cody and Graham decided to ride in the back seat together. When they asked me if I minded, I simply told them, “No, the chauffeur is used to riding alone in the front.”

At first they thought they had made me feel bad, so they tried to apologize and explain it wasn’t like that at all. When they finally realized I was joking with them, they decided they’d have more fun playing along, so they began to discuss what they should do next. When we made our first stop, to stretch and use the restrooms, they didn’t get out of the car right away and I didn’t understand what was wrong. Thinking there was a problem, I went back to open their door, to see what was the matter.

“What took you so long,” Cody quipped. “You’re getting a little slow at doing your job and I’d hate to have to fire you, so I can look for someone younger.”

Realizing what they were doing, I bowed, apologized and assured them it wouldn’t happen again. They were trying to squelch their mirth over my comments and, as they walked by me, Cody looked over his shoulder and spoke.

“That will be all, James, until we are ready to leave,” and then they both laughed, hysterically.

Seeing I wasn’t ready to let him get away with this, I made a quick move in his direction, but Cody saw what I was up to and began to run toward the restroom, chuckling as he went. That caused me to pull up short, since I didn’t want him to exert himself or possibly cause him other problems, but I knew this was not the last of this silliness.

We all did a little stretching, after we relieved ourselves, and then we went back to the car. I intentionally walked ahead of them, so I could open the door for them. I bowed and said, “After you, young sirs,” as I waited for them to enter.

Cody giggled again and then let Graham get in first. He got in right behind Graham, telling me, “Continue on, James,” after he was seated. I closed the door and hopped in the front seat, ready to continue on our journey.

We had been riding for approximately another hour or so, when I looked in the rearview mirror and saw only one head looking back at me. I turned to see what was up and noticed Cody had fallen asleep, with his head resting peacefully in Graham’s lap. Graham smiled at me and stroked Cody’s head and hair, so I turned forward again, to pay attention to my driving.

We stopped somewhere in New Jersey, not far from wear I287 intersects I78, before we got into the metropolitan cluster. I quickly found us a place to stay for the night and we took our things to the room. It was a single room with two double beds, because I wanted to keep an eye on Cody. Staying here would also shorten the time it took to get to Sloan-Kettering the next day, because I wanted to arrive there as early as possible.