The Castaway Hotel - 9 - 3. Chapter 3 -Rough Times Ahead

As July was drawing to a close, I called Lester for an update. “Lester, it’s Josh,” I began. “How are things going out on the farm?”

“Hi, Josh. Things are pretty good here,” he confirmed. “All the boys have been holding their own and we’ve had no major problems.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but I’m also calling to see if you need us to come out again,” I stated. “Do you need our help with anything?”

“As I said, Josh,” Lester replied, “things are going well here and we’re pretty much caught up with the work. I appreciate you’re offer, but we won’t need you and your boys at this time. My wife, the boys and I would love to see you all though, if you want to come out and just spend some time with us.”

“I’ll keep that in mind and let you know when we can do that,” I agreed. “Take care, Lester, and let us know if your situation changes.”

“I will, Josh, and thanks,” he stated, as we ended our conversation.

Since Lester didn’t need our help, I turned my attention to other things. The situation at school was pretty well set too, at least temporarily, and the family was doing fairly decent, so there wasn’t a lot for me be involved with. Andrew would get his cast off shortly and Jake was getting ready to take his yearly physical for work, but neither of these events was going to be a big deal. Andrew was anxious to get the cast off, so he could start riding his bike again, although I warned him that wouldn’t happened the next day. He’d have to build the strength up in his leg first. On the other front, Jake had no complaints concerning his health, so it would just be a routine examination and I didn’t give either of these events very much thought.

During this time, I also heard from Brandon and Nick and they both seemed to be having a good time with their parents. They also sent their love. Nick had contacted Shannon several times before I heard from him, because they were both finding it difficult to be apart. None of us were even sure when they would be able to get together next, seeing each would be spending the holidays with his parent(s). Not only that, but they’d also be attending different colleges, so it appeared as if they wouldn’t be able to get back together until next summer.

Brandon and Danny didn’t have it quite as bad, but their time together would be severely limited too. Brandon would be here for a few days with Danny, before they each headed off to their own college, but at least they’d both be spending the holidays here. Brandon’s parents were still going to join us at those times, so they could see Brandon too, while allowing the two boys to spend time together as well.

It was also approaching the date when the local school district would start again too, so things were picking up at work. I was busy preparing for the new teacher orientation, doing building checks and making certain the new supplies and equipment were properly distributed. I was also double-checking to ensure that all positions were filled and every student had been registered and assigned a class schedule.

At home, I was busy trying to get the boys ready for their classes and checking to ensure everyone’s wardrobe was sufficient. I also purchased whatever supplies I could, prior to getting the lists from their teachers, while also making certain the college boys had everything they needed and knew whom they’d be riding with this time. It was going to be a big relief for Jake and I this year, because Dustin, Danny and Kevin would be driving everyone to their respective locations, as well as bringing them home for vacations.

As we got closer to opening day, I also verified that the school’s speech pathologist was going to work with Jesse. Hopefully, she would be able to teach Jesse the finer points he needed to know, so his speech would become even more understandable. Andrew had brought Jesse a long way, but now Jesse needed professional guidance to complete this amazing journey. He was still having some trouble pronouncing certain letters, as well as a couple of other minor problems, so I felt the therapist would be able to help him get past this.

There was also one other situation I was involved with, but I was keeping the details from everyone except Jake. I was working with Captain De Luca of the State Police again, but this time he was acting as a liaison for us with another law enforcement agency. He had contacted the sheriff’s department in Jesse’s old hometown to get them to investigate whether Jesse’s stepfather, who was employed as a corrections officer, was capable of committing such a crime. We were merely attempting to see if Jesse’s claims of sexual abuse could be substantiated and verified, so something could be done to take this guy off the streets.

As always, Captain De Luca was very sympathetic and extremely helpful in getting the ball rolling, even though he faced multiple obstacles. In fact, he ended up having to apply additional pressure by calling in a few political favors, just to get the investigation off the ground. The obstacles he was facing came about because the suspect lived in another area and the crime also took place there. This was not only outside of his jurisdiction, but in another state as well. Besides that, since the suspect worked in law enforcement at the county jail, the sheriff’s department had been unimpressed and unresponsive to his initial overture.

Even though Captain De Luca hadn’t mentioned any specific name, he informed the sheriff that one of his employees was suspected of committing long-term child abuse. He gave the sheriff a rundown of what we knew, without mentioning it was a family member that had been abused. He felt that piece of data might prematurely tip his hand and he didn’t want to give anything away, in case they weren’t willing to act upon this information. He didn’t want to provide them with anything that might give the perpetrator details he could use to find a way to explain things away, before he was confronted.

The sheriff seemed extremely reticent to cross the blue line and investigate someone that worked for him. He stated that since it was a minor’s allegation against one of his men, he refused to act without corroboration. He went on to say it was common for a young person being confronted about a crime to make such an outrageous allegation, so the charges against him would be dropped. When Captain De Luca assured him the report came from a credible source and the witness was in no way being investigated for anything, he still wouldn’t act without substantiation. Captain De Luca then advised him that this was what he was asking the sheriff’s department to do, was to investigate and see if the charges could be substantiated. Captain De Luca even went as far as to state that child molesters seldom commit the abuse in front of others, to avoid having witnesses, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Frustrated, Captain De Luca contacted the two U.S. Senators from our state and the Congressional Representative that served our district to see if they could help. He asked them to see if they could encourage their counterparts from the other state to get an investigation started, to verify if a crime had been committed. After several days of waiting, Captain De Luca was notified that he needed to contact the major from corresponding State Police agency and give him all pertinent information, because they were taking his claim seriously. Not only that, but since the sheriff’s department had failed to conduct an internal investigation of the claim, the State Police would now investigate the entire department for negligence, possible misuse and abuse of power, as well as determining if they were in the habit of covering up crimes.

Once this information was shared with me, I was then told I probably wouldn’t hear anything further for a few weeks, while that State Police set up their surveillance and conducted interviews. I had been apprised that Jesse’s stepfather was being observed, 24/7, until he was either cleared of the charges or indicted. I could only hope he’d be or had been foolish enough to do something else, so Jesse’s claims would carry more weight.

Since this was being looked in to, I could now focus on other matters, beginning with Andrew’s cast being removed. The orthopedist said his leg had healed very well and there should be no further problems. He also taught Andrew a few exercises he could do to strengthen the leg again and I was amazed that these exercises were remarkably similar to what Vinnie had to do for his condition. When we got home and Andrew filled Jesse in about what we’d found out, Jesse insisted that he’d help Andrew do his exercises and I had no doubt he would.

Shortly after that, Jake had his physical. He informed me the doctor the company sent him to had been very congenial, as he noted Jake’s family history and inquired if he had any complaints. He then gave Jake a very thorough examination and even ran a few tests that Jake had never been given before. This impressed us greatly and we were pleased with his concern and attention to detail.

After performing the DRE, or digital rectal exam, the doctor informed Jake he thought he’d noticed something and wanted to run a couple more tests, to see if anything showed up. The doctor then had a lab assistant come in and draw some blood from Jake, so it could be tested for PSA, or prostate specific antigen. The PSA results have a high correlation with predicting prostate cancer, but the doctor would also use his blood to run a second test. He would also run an EPCA-2 test, which examines the early prostate cancer antigen and is another useful tool in predicting potential problems. The doctor also scheduled Jake to have an ultrasound done on his prostate in a few days, but Jake would have to go to the hospital for that to be done. Jake was told he should know what all of this meant a short time after that, but it did concern us. It was quite obvious the doctor was concerned Jake might have prostate cancer, although we prayed that wasn’t the case.

The thought that something might be wrong with Jake had my mind reeling. I might be taking it better if I were the one they suspected had prostate problems and was under such intense scrutiny, since I was older. However, I never suspected anything like this would happen to Jake. Hell, he wasn’t even forty yet, so it was way too soon for something like this to show up. Wasn’t it?

To make matters worse, this wasn’t the only thing I had to focus on at the time. We were also getting into the busy time at work, another grandchild on the way (although I might never meet him or her), Frankie was being sent to Guantanamo, Jesse’s stepfather was being investigated, as well as fining out Jake might have prostate cancer. Damn, could it get any more hectic?

Fortunately, things at work were going very well. I had a great support group under me, from the other administrators on down to the custodians, and that took a great burden off my shoulders. They took care of making sure everything was in order, from the buildings being completely cleaned, with the floors waxed and polished, through the handling of supplies, filling positions and up to and including making certain the students’ needs were being met. I don’t think I could ever adequately thank them for their fine work, so I merely tried to show them how much I appreciated them by holding catered luncheons and pointing them out for special recognition, whenever possible.

The college boys were helping me out as well, by taking their brothers to the mall so they could get what they needed. Of course, I still had to supply the cash, but at least I didn’t have to make all of those trips. Although I never suspected how fortuitous my teaching the boys how to drive and ensuring they got their licenses was going to be, it ended up paying off with great dividends. Not only were they helping out with the back to school shopping and running errands, but they were also going to be transporting the others to and from their campuses, which would allow Jake and I more time to focus on additional pursuits. I do try to tell them as often as I can how much I appreciate this, but they generally play it down. Most of the time they just smile and say, ‘no problem, as long as you make sure we have the wheels,’ or something to that effect.

Unfortunately, they would be leaving in two more days, to return to college, and I knew I was going to miss them. Three of our vehicles would also be going with them, but that wasn’t what I was going to miss the most. I have always appreciated how the older boys continued to be there to help their brothers and keep things under control, especially when Jake and I were busy with other matters. To put it simply, I was going to miss seeing them around on a daily basis, because I’ve really grown to appreciate their company and stabilizing influence on the household. Well, maybe Ricky’s influence isn’t so stabilizing, but he sure keeps things interesting and fun.

During their last couple of nights at home, the partner’s that were being split up were spending a lot of private time alone and trying to make it last until they returned for Thanksgiving. That was especially true for Dion and Trey, since Trey was leaving for his freshman year at college, but Dion was going to be a high school senior. Two nights before he left, Trey made his intentions known.

“Today and tomorrow you’ve got to give me enough of that bad boy to keep me going until November,” he told Dion. “I’m used to having him whenever I want, so you’ve got to make this good.”

Dion just grinned and assured him he would, as they slipped in to bed and began making out. They were both already fairly aroused, since they both been dreading this situation and knew they would have plenty of sex before they were separated. That’s why it wasn’t long before Dion was sinking his substantial shaft into his lover, and slowly grinding out that rhythmic and sensual dance of love that they had practiced so many times before.

They were so in to one another and knew each other so well that they moved as one. Whatever action Dion made, Trey responded in such a way that only intensified the pleasure for each of them. They knew exactly what the other liked and what made him feel good, so this erotic coupling had both of them peaking at the exact same time. As they reached the final stanza of their heated and emotional tango of love, they exploded simultaneously, filling and coating each other in their sweet boy juices. They repeated that scene later that evening, again the next morning, the following afternoon and one final performance the next night, before Trey departed the following day.

A couple of days later, Dion came up and asked if he could speak with me and I readily agreed.

“Dad, I’m really lonely now,” he admitted. “I’m so used to having Trey around and I can’t get used to him being gone. I really miss him. What am I going to do?”

“I know it isn’t easy, but he’ll be home for the holidays before you know it,” I commiserated.

“But what am I going to do until then?” he wondered.

“I suggest you find something else to keep your mind off of it,” I suggested. “Maybe you could concentrate on your singing or schoolwork, get closer to one of your other brothers or make a new friend.”

“I don’t want to make a new ‘guy’ friend, because I think I’d feel as if I were cheating on Trey, even if we didn’t do anything,” Dion confessed, “but I guess I could concentrate on my singing and schoolwork. You know I’ve gotten kind of close to Shelly Novak.”

“To whom?” I asked, since I didn’t immediately recognize the name.

“Shelly Novak,” he repeated. “You know, the girl who takes voice lessons with me.”

“Oh, yes. She seems like a lovely girl,” I told him.

“She’s also got a really great voice,” he informed me, “and we joke around a lot, while we are riding to Pittsburgh for our classes. Maybe I can work with her more on our singing. That might help.”

“Yes, it might,” I agreed.

“And hanging around her won’t make me feel like I’m cheating on Trey or doing anything wrong either,” he added.

“Then I think you’ve come up with your own solution to your problem,” I stated, hoping that might make him feel a little better.

Now that the back to school issues had been or were currently being taken care of, I focused on Marie’s pregnancy again. I thought about calling her, just to say hello and see if she’d mention the pregnancy, but I was hesitant to confront her directly. As I said before, that would put Robert in the middle and I certainly didn’t want to compromise their relationship, just because he had divulged this information to me. I put that call off for now and thought I’d wait to see if she contacted me for my birthday, instead. If not, I might get in touch with her later and tell her I just wanted to see how everything was going.

Frankie called me again, before he shipped out, to keep me apprised. After we spoke for a while, Frankie indicated he wanted to speak to the others, so I let everyone else spend time chatting with him. I knew this was probably because he wasn’t sure how soon he’d be able to actually speak with us again, but it was nice to be able to chat with him. We all expressed our love for each other and wished him well, before he had to go. He said he didn’t know when he’d be able to contact us again, but he’d do it just as soon as he could.

A couple of days after we spoke with him, the doctor’s office called and left word that Jake’s test results were in. The receptionist asked me to have Jake call and make an appointment to discuss the results with the doctor, because he wouldn’t do it over the phone. We both felt it was the same as it had been with Nick, and the doctor wanted to deliver any news, good or bad, face to face.

When Jake called, the receptionist told them they had a cancellation and could squeeze him in the following afternoon, if that was agreeable. He explained he would have to call work and request to leave early, but said he didn’t think it would be a problem. He told her he’d call back if it was, but otherwise he’d see them then. Once he told me, I asked if he wanted me to go with him, but he said it wouldn’t be necessary and he’d fill me in about what was discussed when I got home. I asked if he was sure about doing it this way and he said he was, so I honored his decision. It wasn’t easy, since I wanted to be there too, but he was definitely old enough to make the decision to do this on his own.

The following day, at work, I couldn’t stop thinking about Jake and what he might discover. Even though I prayed it wasn’t cancer, I knew if it was we’d consider the doctor’s suggestions carefully and then make an informed decision. In fact, I spent my lunch hour researching prostate cancer online, so I’d have some idea what to say and do, once I got home.

The day seemed to drag on, but then I still got home before Jake did. I initially worried why it was taking him so long and wondered when he was going to show up. Did he get bad news and then drive off somewhere to think this over on his own? Would he do that or would he come home and talk it over with me? I thought he’d do the latter, but the later it got, the more I began to worry. I was just about to drive down to the doctor’s office, to see if he was still there, when Jake pulled into the driveway. Unable to contain my curiosity, I rushed out to greet him.

“Well, what did the doctor have to say?” I pressed.

“He says he’s gone over the results of my blood work with a cancer specialist, or oncologist, and I do have prostate cancer,” he announced, and I think my heart stopped beating, at least momentarily. I think Jake noticed how distressed I looked, so he tried to play it down a bit.

“The doctor says we’ve caught it in a very early stage and he has arranged for the oncologist to do a biopsy in the morning. This will be done at the hospital and he says it’s merely so he can definitely determine if it is malignant. He said the biopsy could be done as an outpatient, but he needs to use the ultrasound equipment, so he can make sure he tests both sides of the prostate.”

“Do you want me to go with you this time?” I asked, deeply concerned.

“You may if you want, but I really don’t see any need for it,” he answered. “The doctor said it wouldn’t take long, but the results won’t be back for a couple of days. I’ll be going in to work after he finishes, so I really don’t see the need for you to be there.”

“I’ll go for moral support and in case you need anything afterward,” I replied. “Jake, I’ve got to be there this time. I was a wreck not knowing what was going on.”

“If that’s what you want to do, I won’t argue with you,” he stated, “and then we can both go back to work afterward.”

“What time is this being done?” I pressed.

“He said to meet him at the hospital at 7:00, so he could do it before he made his rounds,” Jake answered. “I told him that would be fine and I could go in a little late to work, after he finished. He then said I shouldn’t have any problems doing that.”

At this point, I didn’t know what to think. Jake probably had prostate cancer, but the biopsy wasn’t going to take long and the doctor was allowing him to return to work, once it was over. Did that mean this might not be as serious as I feared and easily treated? I wasn’t convinced and even the research I’d done had produced more questions than answers. I guess we’ll have to wait until the doctor gives Jake his options.

We went inside at this point, but we agreed not to say anything to the boys until we had something more concrete to tell them. I asked if he wanted to call Shannon and at least give him a heads up, but he said he didn’t want to distract Shannon from his studies, until he had all the facts. He was rather quiet throughout dinner and right up until we went to bed. Once we were alone, I decided to pin him down for more information.

“Jake, did the doctor tell you anything else?” I pressed.

“Yes, he told me I was kind of young for this,” Jake began. “He said prostate cancer usually shows up in older men, usually 50 and over, but 40 on up is also within the norms. The thing is, I’m only 38, so I asked why it was happening to me. The doctor then asked if I had any family history of cancer, so I used my cell phone to call some relatives and make some inquiries. It turns out my mother’s aunt had breast cancer and my mother’s brother had prostate cancer. I didn’t know it prior to calling, but that’s what raised my risk level. Luckily, the doctor caught it early, during my physical, so the chances of my beating it are much greater than it otherwise might have been.”

“I’m glad to hear that and we will get through this,” I told him. “I went through something similar with Kevin, before you and Shannon moved in. Kevin had testicular cancer and ended up having one of his testicles removed, but he recovered nicely and hasn’t had any other problems since.”

“That’s good to know and I hope it works out as well for me,” Jake replied.

“I’m sure it will,” I added, before we went to bed.

The next morning, I drove to the hospital to be there for Jake. After checking in, the oncologist came out to introduce himself and explain what was going to happen. After he left, Jake had to go get ready for the procedure. Although he knew I was out in the waiting room, I couldn’t be with him. In total, he was gone less than an hour, before he came back out. I was somewhat surprised about how quickly it went and asked how he felt.

“I’m a little sore,” he admitted. “He used the ultrasound to locate the prostate and then inserted a needle to do the biopsy.”

“Did he do it through the rectum or perineum?” I wondered.

“Up the rectum,” Jake answered. “I actually think that was better, at least as far as the discomfort level goes. I do have to take antibiotics for a while, to guard against infection, but this way everything took place internally and not in an area that would get rubbed continuously whenever I was seated.” He had a point, but I wasn’t sure how valid it was.

The next couple of days were very tense, as we waited to get the results of the biopsy back. Even though I was nervous as a man strapped to a bomb, Jake was even worse. He kept talking about how he felt when he learned his uncle had died of prostate cancer. Now, he was also beginning to question whether that would be his fate as well. No matter how much I tried to reassure him, he kept saying it was in his genes, so maybe we should start making arrangements. I knew what he was alluding to, but I kept putting him off by telling him we should wait to see what the doctor had to say first. When Jake got the call from the doctor’s office telling him the results were back and asking if he could come in the following afternoon, he was almost at the breaking point.

“Josh, I’m not sure if I can last another day before finding anything out,” he admitted.

“Jake, you’ll be fine,” I assured him. “In fact, I’ll meet you there and go in with you, when the doctor tells you what he’s discovered.”

“Josh, you don’t have to do that,” he stated. “You already miss a lot of work because of the boys and I don’t want to make matters worse.”

“Jake, the board assured me there wouldn’t be a problem with taking time off when they talked me into taking the position,” I confirmed. “In fact, I tried to turn them down because I knew I’d probably be away a lot, but they made so many concessions that I almost felt as if I had to take their offer. I’m not worried they’ll change their mind now, and if they do, I’ll just retire, so don’t try to go there.” Jake knew better than to argue the point, so we both concentrated on preparing dinner.

Jake was as tight as a Dolly Parton’s bra for the rest of the evening. I think the boys began to suspect something was amiss, seeing this had been going on for a while, but no one dared to say anything. I’m not sure of the reason they weren’t pressing the point, but I’m glad they didn’t. I’m not sure Jake would have handled it well.

The following afternoon, I did some more research on prostate cancer, but this time I concentrated on the biopsy procedure, possible results, treatments and odds of survival. I wanted to be ready to ask questions, if the news wasn’t so good.

The rest of the day dragged on and I left about ten minutes before Jake’s appointment time. I met him at the oncologist’s office and went in with him when he was called. The doctor looked at us skeptically, when he came in and saw us, and he asked Jake if he was positive he wanted me in there while they discussed the results.

“Yes, I am,” Jake replied. “We not only live together, but he’s my best friend and he’s here to support me.”

“I’m here to help, if the news is too much for Jake to handle and it devastates him,” I added. “I’m also here to make sure he also gets home safely and I’m also afraid he might be so upset he wouldn’t catch everything you said.”

“Well, that’s fine with me and it might also be helpful,” the doctor replied, and then he turned toward Jake.

“Mr. McCarthy, I know this is a cliché, but I have good news and bad news for you,” he began. “The bad news is that you definitely have prostate cancer.”