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A Day in June, Chapter 2
"I'm sorry Mr. Cook; I know that Mr. Matson needs whatever breaks we can give him, but there simply isn't the money to do much. The best I can offer is to refund all of his dorm rent and come up with a pittance to help defray his care expenses. I can take that out of an emergency fund which, unfortunately, is nearly depleted already so I cannot promise more than a few hundred dollars."
"I'm sure he'll be grateful for whatever you can do, Dr. Marsh. Do you think his professors will allow him to have an aide in class to record their lectures and take notes so he can complete his summer school course work?"
"Hmm... Let me pull up his schedule. Ah yes, all three are known for going the extra mile to help our students succeed. I understand they give oral exams for people who have difficulty writing. I'll contact each of them and report back to you if you'll give me a number where I may reach you."
"Thank you, Sir! That will help us a lot. Jade has been on the verge of depression over his misfortune. This should cheer him up."
"Good. By the way, how is he doing? I haven't had an update since the police contacted me about him. The local authorities seem to be keeping an especially tight lid on the case. I assume it's for his safety."
"He's doing quite well, all things considered. He doesn't seem to have any serious internal damage, but his broken hands are certainly going to keep him from doing the things he wants to do."
"Please tell him that he's in my thoughts and that the university staff wishes him a speedy recovery. I don't really know him personally, but I do care about the wellbeing of our whole university family. Do keep me informed about his progress."
"I shall. Thanks again for your help. I need to get back to the hospital. Good day sir."
"Good day to you, Mr. Cook."
The dean had seemed to be concerned, but Devon wondered if it was merely a polite gesture, a kind of PR spiel that was no more substantive than the veneer on the man's desk. Well, at least there was the promise of a little money to help. That was better than nothing. And with budget cuts at the university, it was probably the most that could be expected.
The room where Jade had been was empty and the bed had been stripped. Devon's heart nearly stopped beating for a few seconds as he looked in.
"Oh Mr. Cook, your cousin has improved so much that he's been moved to 4th floor," the nurse replied to his anxious inquiry. I'll be surprised if he isn't released tomorrow. Dr. Burns has his staff trying to find a place that will take him. It's next to impossible when there isn't insurance to cover the expenses."
"Please call off the search," Devon told her. "I've decided that I'll be taking him home with me. Family has to stick together in tough times."
Devon found Jade and his stuffed toy propped up in bed trying to watch cartoons in his new room. It wasn't a private one and the elderly gentleman in the next bed was moaning and crying out as if in pain.
"What's up?" Devon asked by way of greeting.
"Thank God you're here. Jocko and I are about to go bonkers. This poor old guy hasn't stopped in the hour and a half I've been here. I keep trying to get the nurses to do something for him, but they say he can't have any more pain meds. I haven't left the room except when the County Mounties came to question me and that wasn't what I'd call a relaxing time either. I'm never gonna sleep tonight!"
"Let me see what I can do," Devon responded. "At least I'm mobile and I can make some waves. Will they let you out of bed?"
"They helped me walk to another room so the officers could talk to me in private – like this poor guy was gonna know what we said."
"Okay. I'll see if they'll let me walk you to the lounge down the hall to sit for a while – anything to get you out of here."
The nurse at the station said it would be fine for Jade to get more exercise. She gave Devon a wheeled stand to hang Jade's IV on while they walked.
After getting Jade settled in a large chair in the waiting area with Jocko hidden under his robe, Devon went back to the nurses' station.
"There must be someplace else you can put my cousin. He can't get better if he doesn't get his rest."
"There are only private rooms left and his policy doesn't cover that."
"What's the extra cost?"
"Fifty dollars per day."
"Here! Please move his things to a private room as soon as possible," Devon said as he thrust three twenties her way.
"Put your money away. It will appear on his bill as part of his co-pay and you can settle up with the hospital later," she said. "Hmm..., better yet, I'll write a note saying we had an overflow of patients and I had to place him there. That should keep him from having to pay at all. The poor kid doesn't need extra bills to worry about while he's trying to recover."
Assuming that Devon had worked some kind of magic, Jade didn't question why he had been transferred to a nicely appointed suite with a sofa and a small dining table surrounded by three chairs – in addition to a recliner.
Jade chose to sit in the recliner instead of going back to bed. The nurse was pleased because sitting up and moving around some would help prevent pneumonia and blood clots. Active patients tended to heal more quickly in general.
Devon told Jade all about his visit with the dean and about the financial breaks that were being extended. Jade listened thoughtfully, but didn't seem excited.
"I'll still end up in the street or on charity somewhere."
"Okay, let me explain plan `B'." Devon said. "I have extra room and I can afford to feed you for the summer."
"Why the hell would you want to invite a perfect stranger into your home? Don't you realize that's dangerous? I could be a nut-case! Besides, I'm going to need a lot of care. I won't even be able to wipe my own ass! Had you thought of that?" Jade nearly shouted.
"You may have been a stranger yesterday, but not anymore. I also suspect you're not perfect." Devon teased. "Anyway, I'm doing it because you need care and I can provide that. If you're worried about my helping with your personal needs, put that out of your mind. When my mother was dying of cancer we didn't have the funds to hire special help. The hospice facilities were too far away from our small town and my father wouldn't take charity. I was only 13 and I did everything for her including getting her on and off a bedpan. There is nothing that I can't do." Devon explained quietly.
"But she was your mother, not a stranger. That's different!"
"Yeah, it's harder with a parent because you're emotionally involved!"
"I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. I just wanted you to consider what you're taking on."
"Then you will let me take care of you?"
"I don't see that I have any other options, and I do thank you for your kindness." Jade responded, with tears running down his cheeks.
"Good! It's kind of selfish on my part anyway because for the first time in my life I'm all alone. I'll enjoy having someone to talk to and to eat my attempts at cooking. If you survive that, you'll be stronger for the experience!" Devon joked. "You know they say whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Seriously, I'm looking forward to getting to know you better."
"Damn! You're just too good to be true. You must be an angel because I don't know any humans who would do what you're proposing. It will take time for this to soak in. I'm not sure I'm conscious; I'm probably in a coma imagining all of it."
"No, this is for real," Devon smiled, touching his shoulder to make his point.
Jade knew he wasn't dreaming when his dinner arrived. It looked nasty. Since he wasn't quite as starved as he'd been earlier in the day, he resisted eating much of it.
Devon had to remind him that he needed nourishment in order to regain enough strength to get well. Eventually, Jade gave in and did his best to eat.
When the nurse came in she remarked about the fact that Jade had finished everything including the "mystery meat" entrée.
"I'll have to tell the kitchen that you loved your dinner so much, you cleaned your plate. We'll have to schedule this meal more often," she joked.
"Don't even!" Jade groaned.
After breakfast the following morning, Dr. Burns released Jade to Devon's care giving him a couple of prescriptions to fill. He would need to make an appointment to be seen again at the end of the week. Hopefully, by then, the doctor could have a better notion of how long he'd be laid up. In the mean time, he could go to classes as soon as he felt up to it.
Of course, Jade had to be taken to the car in a wheelchair. No hospital would chance having a patient fall on the way. Devon felt bad that there were no flowers or gifts other than the sock monkey. How could anyone not care about this dude? It was criminal!
Jade was well impressed with Devon's little house. It was a story and a half with a full basement in a blue-collar neighborhood with tidy lawns and well-kept dwellings. Devon gave him the short tour of the main floor which consisted of an eat-in kitchen, a living room with more formal dining space at one end, three bedrooms, and a decent sized bathroom between two of them. Devon said he had an exercise room, laundry, and a spot to do hobbies in the basement. He didn't take Jade to either of the other floors because of not wanting to wear him out.
"Can we go to my dorm and get my stuff after lunch?" Jade asked after Devon showed him the room he'd be sleeping in.
"Sure, if you're up to it. We can do whatever you want."
"Yeah, I'll be up to it. I appreciate the clothes you lent me, but I want to get my own as soon as possible. I think I'll try to go to classes tomorrow if you're willing to take me."
"You know I am. I have a little tape recorder that I used in some of my lecture classes and we can take that as well as my laptop. We'll do our best to cram all that learning into this little head of yours," Devon said tousling Jade's dark, shaggy hair.
For lunch, they went to McDonald's. Devon hadn't had time to shop and Jade was eager for a greasy fast-food meal after the bland diet he'd eaten the past couple of days.
They ate in the car with the top up because Jade was self-conscious about having to be fed. It WAS a kind of comical sight. Devon held one hamburger up in his right hand for Jade to take bites of while he chowed down on his meal using his left. Despite looking strange, it was rather efficient.
It took a couple of hours, but only one trip to get Jade's room cleaned out. His things ended up piled on the couch and chairs in the living room because there wasn't time to put all of it neatly away. They had filled Jade's old car as well as part of Devon's and the RA offered to drive it to Devon's house if he could get a ride back. Jade had then turned in his key and he was officially moved.
Obviously, Jade hadn't been able to carry anything or do any packing. He was, none-the-less, exhausted when they were finished. With Devon's help, he slipped into his bed in a pair of boxers and drifted off to sleep clutching Jocko.
Devon couldn't miss how attached Jade had become to the stuffed animal that he'd meant as a kind of joke. He hoped that Jade wasn't regressing into his childhood emotionally.
While Jade slept, Devon made a quick trip to the grocery store. Besides fresh fruits and veggies, he purchased eggs and bacon for breakfast as well as milk and cereal. For dinners, he bought a few packaged meals, but also a chicken for later in the week and two T-bone steaks for that evening. He certainly knew how to grill well, so their first meal together would be a good one.
"Devon, can you come and pull down my shorts so I can pee?" Jade called as Devon was tossing the salad.
Devon stopped what he was doing and hurried to the bathroom. Jade said he could sit down to do his business so he didn't need anyone to hold his dick for him. Devon laughed and said there was no problem either way.
Minutes later, Jade called him back saying that he'd done a "number two" and that he would need his butt wiped. He was sorry to be a bother.
After taking care of Jade's personal needs and washing his hands, Devon led Jade to the kitchen where he sat at the table while Devon went out to check on the steaks.
"How do you like your meat?" Devon called.
"If it's beef, I like it medium to medium rare," Jade answered, resisting the urge to make an X-rated innuendo.
"Okay, I'll take them both up then."
Jade ate everything that Devon cut up and forked into his mouth. His appetite was much improved from the night before.
"This food is awesome! I can't remember the last time I had a T-bone. Wow! And those grilled veggies are out of this world!"
"Don't get too excited until you've suffered through my stuffed green peppers. I've started with the best. It all goes downhill from here."
The guys spent time after dinner getting some of Jade's essential things settled in his new room. They picked out an outfit to wear to classes in the morning and set Jade's books, laptop, and Devon's recorder on the counter.
Jade's strength waned by 9:00 and Devon put him to bed soon after. He left both bedroom doors open so that Jade could call if he needed help in the night.
In the wee hours of the morning, Jade screamed out as if in pain. Devon rushed in and found him thrashing around in bed as if trying to escape for some sort of danger.
Devon got into bed with him and tried to calm him. After a bit, Jade snuggled back into Devon's arms and fell asleep again. Devon stayed awake for several minutes before he could settle down.
At the first light of dawn, Devon awakened and quietly crept back to his own bed. He didn't want Jade to wake up wondering what he was doing there. After all, the poor guy had been taken against his will. How would he react if he felt a hardon nestled against his butt?
Jade roused slightly when Devon left his bed. He was aware that he'd been having a fantastic dream in which he was peacefully lying in Devon's arms. It must have been a dream, but still, the spot next to him was warm.
By the time Jade awakened again, he could smell breakfast cooking. He struggled out of bed, heading for the bathroom before he remembered he'd need help. He called for Devon who pulled his boxers down over his morning erection. Devon didn't make any remarks about Jade's state of arousal, but Jade blushed, none-the-less.
The guys ate their meal in their underwear, but Devon got them both dressed quickly after they'd finished. Then he packed Jade's laptop and books along with the tape recorder to help capture all the details from the classes. He grabbed their sack lunches on the way out the door.
Some of the students welcomed Jade back to class enthusiastically, while others didn't even look up. He hated being the center of attention and was happy that Devon and he hadn't arrived more than a couple of minutes before class.
Devon found that he hadn't lost the knack of taking notes quickly on the laptop. That had been a godsend when he was working on his graduate degree. Though Jade's machine felt a little different, Devon soon adapted.
They ate their lunches on an out of the way bench in the sun. It felt good to be outside under a bright blue sky. If passersby noticed that Devon was feeding Jade, they didn't stop to gawk. That made Jade feel a little more at ease. He seemed to be relaxing more and more as the day progressed, though some of that may have been from fatigue.
Jade was totally wiped out by the time they got back to the house in the afternoon, but he didn't allow himself to nap until after he'd reviewed the notes – clarifying some of them from what he could hear on the tape.
"I don't mean to be a pest, but could you lie down next to me while I go to sleep – just `til I drift off?" Jade asked. "I know it's dumb, but I feel so damned helpless and vulnerable. Nothing against Jocko, but you're more interesting to talk to."
"You're not a pest; I don't mind at all as long as Jocko won't be jealous."
The men lay side by side on Jade's bed in their underwear with a sheet spread over them. The house wasn't particularly cool, but both of them liked the feeling of security that it provided.
They didn't talk long before Jade's breathing pattern let Devon know he had entered dreamland.
Devon hadn't intended to fall asleep, but he did. When he woke up 20 minutes later, he found that he was spooned against Jade's back and that the position felt natural and comfortable.
That evening, Jade got to taste Devon's stuffed green peppers and found them to his liking. Everything Devon cooked and everything he did were perfect as far as Jade was concerned.
Their lives settled down into a kind of routine during the first week, broken only by Jade's appointment with Dr. Burns to check his progress. The doctor was very pleased with how Jade was healing from his wounds. He predicted that in a few weeks, the casts could be replaced by immobilizers that wouldn't need to be kept on 24/7. If that worked out, Jade could begin occupational therapy to keep his muscles from atrophying.
"I need to ask you some rather personal questions. Would you like your cousin to step out while I do?"
"You're talking about the guy who bathes me and wipes my butt. There really is nothing that I could do or say that would embarrass me at this point," Jade insisted.
"Okay. Are you having any pain when you defecate? Have your bowel movements been regular, and of a good consistency?"
Despite Jade's bravado, he did blush at some of the questions. It was impossible to know if Devon's presence affected him one way or other or if he was just embarrassed from talking about the subject.
Another couple of weeks passed in much the same manner. Classes moved along and Jade continued to master the material. He was allowed to take oral quizzes in the two courses that had given any assessment instruments and he did well on both. The professors had graduate assistants who took him to an office to test his knowledge while the rest of the students responded in the traditional way with paper and pencil.
He seemed to be feeling better emotionally too. Devon had persuaded him to take advantage of the free counseling program for university students. It was staffed mainly by grad students, most of whom were quite competent, being in the last part of their internships.
Besides another doctor's visit to check his physical progress, Jade was asked to come into the county sheriff's office to look as a few pictures of suspects. He hated the experience because it dredged up details of that vicious attack and made him relive the experience. He wished he could simply forget about the whole thing, but he also knew it was his responsibility to help get his attackers off the street where they couldn't hurt someone else.
He tentatively identified one photo, but said that the guy wasn't wearing a beard when he saw him, so it was difficult to be sure. He felt if the guy were clean-shaven, he could be more accurate.
The man in question had been in a number of fights which appeared to be motivated by his hatred of gay men. The mention of that made Jade visibly uncomfortable.
"I'm not suggesting that you're gay; I'm just saying he's picked on guys that he thought were," the officer clarified. "Your attackers might have assumed you were gay because Jodie's is a gay friendly bar. If you saw them there, they could also be `suspected' of being gay too. All types of students hang out there at lunch time, and a few, no doubt, take the shortcut through the alley back to campus.
I'm not sure why we don't have a DNA sample from him. It can be considered an invasion of privacy, if we don't have sufficient cause to take one. However, we can offer him a Coke in a plastic glass and get one from that when we find him. If we get a match from, uh, the evidence that was collected, we're almost assured of a conviction. Our current DA isn't likely to let it get plea-bargained away. He's tough on suspected hate crimes."
The discussion at the sheriff's office delved into some of the details of the attack that Jade had held back earlier. Devon offered to leave the room while the whole story was being recorded, but Jade said he wanted him there. It would be easier to go through it one less time, and he felt Devon deserved to know everything.
The visit to headquarters was a very unsettling experience. Jade was so stressed that he had a difficult time eating dinner.
"Sorry, I guess I'm just not hungry, Devon. It's a great meal, really!"
"Are you 21 yet?"
"Yeah, my birthday was last month. Why?"
"Because I'm going to give you a glass of red wine to take the edge off your day. Don't assume that I'm going to let you climb into a bottle in order to feel better, but you're not on any meds and this is truly for medicinal purposes tonight. I don't think an occasional drink is going to turn you into an alcoholic."
"I know it won't! My sperm donor is a heavy drinker. Being around him when he's drunk isn't a pretty sight. I swore I'd never be like that bastard!"
Devon poured them both a small goblet of wine. He could use the stress relief for a couple of reasons. It wasn't that Jade was demanding or difficult to take care of, but it was the constant sense of responsibility that was wearing on Devon.
And hearing about the assault had brought him to tears several times in the sheriff's office.
"This is good stuff. What is it?"
"It's a cabernet by Charles Shaw. You know, "two buck Chuck." Only it costs about three bucks these days. It's still the best bottle of wine under 10 dollars."
"Dr. Chuck is doing his thing; I'm feeling mellow," Jade smiled after a few swallows. "Could I try another bite?"
"You bet!" Devon smiled, not resenting his duty in the least.
Perhaps it was the wine, or maybe the good food, or the act of purging his soul again. Whatever the cause, Jade went to sleep fairly easily that Friday night. However, he didn't have a very peaceful rest. Sometime after midnight, he had a terrifying nightmare in which he was lying in the woods being repeatedly raped. The image of one of his attackers was vivid in his mind, but as he tried to memorize one of the faces, it morphed into his father's.
His agonizing screams jolted Devon upright in his bed. He stumbled, half asleep, into the neighboring bedroom.
"Please don't, daddy. Please don't! It hurts," Jade was crying in an adolescent voice.
Devon involuntarily shuddered as a sickening feeling washed over him. Jade's recent experience of being raped wasn't his first. Devon was now fairly certain of that.
"I'm here Jade," Devon spoke softly. "I'm going to protect you. No one's going to hurt you."
Jade sat up with his eyes wide open.
"He did it. The bastard fucked me. He raped me. Oh God!" he wailed.
"It's going to be okay. We can get through this together. I'll protect you and if he ever tries to hurt you again, I'll kill the son of a bitch!"
Then Devon climbed in bed with Jade and held him tightly. He didn't care whether or not anyone would consider it unmanly, gay, or whatever. Jade needed to feel secure and loved. Devon felt he was making the right choice. Besides, if he were being honest, he'd have to confess that he was developing feelings for his guest.
Jade reached over toward the nightstand in a clumsy attempt to get Jocko. Devon had to get up to retrieve the stuffed animal from the floor when it fell in the process.
"You know why I love this monkey?" Jade asked.
"Because he looks like you?" Devon joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Because I had one like him when I was a boy. My grandmother made him and I used to sleep with him even after I was kind of old to be doing that. My father called me a sissy when he caught me with Jocko in my bed. He ripped him to pieces and I cried all night. But it's like Jocko has come back from the dead to be my mojo. I know that's dumb. It can't really have magical power."
"Maybe it can if it reminds you of happy times and the loving hands that made it. The lady in the gift shop said it was made by a sweet little old woman who thought every child should have one."
"No, it's just a stuffed sock monkey, but it means a lot to me because you bought it for me. It's like you knew what I needed. I think maybe you're my mojo."
"Do you want me to leave so you can go back to sleep now that you're gotten over your nightmare?"
"Uh, if it's okay, uh, could you stay with me?"
"No problem."
"Could you snuggle up against my back and hold me?"
"Sure."
Jade settled down surprisingly fast. Devon stayed awake for at least half an hour. He was concerned about his own motives and emotions. He knew that his feelings toward Jade had gone beyond the Platonic level. He was falling in love. Could Jade return that love, or would it cause him further turmoil? Would he feel obligated to do whatever Devon wanted simply to show his gratitude?
Author's notes: I heard from a lot of former readers and several new ones this week. The list includes: Jeff M, Bill K, Nick S, Tom A, Tim C, Ott H, Eddie C, Walt S, Paul R, Michael W, Jim W, Trish R, Dale M, Wayne, Bill C, Mike D, Scott M, Rod R, Michael, Tony W, Bill T, and Johnny P. Thanks! Your emails are all the reward that I receive for writing. Don't forget to donate to keep this free service available. Thanks to Tom and David for editing!