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Greg Patrick
"Peyton, as badly as I missed our friends on Thanksgiving Day, I wonder what it is going to be like when we move to Memphis to complete our medical training and take our exams to begin practicing medicine. Missing our friends and the Rabbis at Temple Anshe Hesed is going to be mentally painful, and not being with Dale and Charley and our niece and nephews are going to be so hard to cope with."
"Jaiden, the same feeling is bothering me, but we can't let it take over because we have our children to care for. We'll have Ginny and Gampy in Memphis until we complete our residency. You mentioned passing the boards; you're forgetting we do that before going to Memphis. We will be learning some tricks of the trade in Memphis that will serve our memories when we're trying to figure out what to do to help a child with a tricky case that doesn't respond to the traditional treatment modalities. The most painful thing we will have to learn is to let a child go when there is nothing left that we can do for them. That will be the most painful thing we will ever face. We will have to trust Hashem to carry us through that pain."
You know what Donna has been through. You know how Hashem has carried her through the mental and physical challenges of getting well and becoming the happy, beautiful person she is. Jaiden, Donna is one of the greatest inspirations we have to keep us looking for whatever we need to help children get well."
"And we can't forget Jeremy and Seth. Both of their Dads tried to kill them, and you and I, with Dr. Brannen and Andy doing their surgeries, brought them back to life. Sure, Dr. Brannen and Andy did the surgeries, but every bit of their aftercare was done by you and me, and look at how well they are doing."
"Jeremy starts Winter Semester at Wellstone, and he is only 16. Seth is in a private Jewish school in Orange Beach, and he is setting academic records left and right in Marine Biology and Marine Biodiversity, and he is only 15-years-old. We are an incredible team, and we can't forget that."
"Peyton, there you go doing it again!" "Doing what, sweetheart?" "Being the levelheaded one in this house." "Jaiden, you are just as levelheaded as you say I am; you simply don't see it in yourself. Ask your Mom or my parents; they will tell you." "Peyton, I don't have to ask them anything like that, I have you, and you are my single best inspiration outside of our boys."
That comment earned Jaiden a kiss and three hours of bedroom calisthenics, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He and Peyton had not made love like they just did in a long time, and their sons taking an extra-long nap helped.
When Jaiden and Peyton got into the shower, they again rose to the occasion. They took care of each other's needs before they exited the shower. Peyton started getting dressed when Jaiden said, "STOP!" Peyton looked quizzically at Jaiden, so Jaiden said, "Peyton, I want to lay in bed and hold you until the boys wake up. I don't care if it is five minutes or an hour; I simply want to hold you."
Peyton walked to and got into bed, and Jaiden got into bed with him and snuggled as close as he could. About forty minutes later, they heard their sons waking up, so they got up, put on their khaki shorts and a tee-shirt, and took care of their son's needs.
Dinner time was fast approaching, and Dale was in the kitchen preparing spaghetti. Dinner was going to be fun since the children hadn't had spaghetti before. Dale fully expected spaghetti to be everywhere when the children finished eating, and he wasn't disappointed. The children had the best time eating the spaghetti with their hands and getting it all over them, the table, and the floor. Charley took pictures with his phone and sent a copy to all the parents. In the reference bar, he wrote: First Time Spaghetti.
Thirty minutes later, Jaiden's Mom called and asked if he and Peyton had gotten the boys bathed after dinner. Jaiden said, "So, Mom, you know Dale fixed spaghetti for dinner?" "Yes, son, I do, and the pictures were hilarious. They brought back a lot of good memories for me of the first time you had spaghetti. You looked just like your boys when you had eaten all you wanted. Every time we had spaghetti after that, you would drool until you got your hands into it."
"Mom, I have to admit the boys had a wonderful time being messy with the spaghetti, and it was fun watching them smear it everywhere. I don't think Dale could have prepared anything they would have enjoyed more."
"When we got them undressed, and in the shower, they had a blast playing in the water, so Peyton and I got our bath and then sat on the floor and played with them until they would let us bathe them. That was the most fun we have had with the boys in a long time. Peyton was on his knees washing Jimmy when Ethan crawled over to him, grabbed a particular swatch of hair, and tried to pull himself up. I had never seen Peyton's eyes bulge like that, and I lost it. Peyton tried to get his breath when he shot me a glance that said he didn't think it was that funny. I looked at him and said, "oh, yes, it was that funny." He started laughing at that point. We learned to wear a swimsuit if we play on the floor with the boys when they are in the shower."
Jaiden's Mom was laughing so hard she started coughing. When she could finally say something, she told Jaiden that was the funniest thing she'd heard in a long time.
Mom asked if they had told Dad Riley the story about the shower incident. Jaiden said he nor Peyton had spoken to Dad yet, so Mom said she wanted to call him before he called Peyton. Jaiden told her he would be looking forward to how Dad would play up the situation.
"Phyllis, this is Peggy. Is Jim at home?" "He is, Peggy; let me get him on the phone." "Hello, Peggy, what do Phyllis and I owe for this call?" "Jim, have you and Phyllis seen the pictures of the children after they finished eating spaghetti for the first time?" "I didn't hear a text come in, Peggy; let me check right quick. Yep, it came in, and I didn't hear the notification tone. I take it there is a story to go along with the pictures, which is why you called."
"Jim, there is, and it is hilarious. Jaiden and Peyton had the boys in the shower, trying to bathe them, but the boys wanted to play in the water instead of getting a bath. Peyton and Jaiden decided to shower while the boys were playing and then sit on the floor and play with the children. When the boys were tired of playing, Peyton grabbed Jimmy and was on his knees bathing him. Nathan crawled over to him, grabbed the hair in Peyton's nether region, and tried to pull himself up. Jaiden said he had never seen Peyton's eyes bulge like they did, and he had never seen Peyton fight so hard to get his breath back."
Dad and Mom Riley were laughing so hard they couldn't say a word. When they were finally able to stop laughing, Jim said, "Peggy, that is hilarious. I'll call and play this up with Peyton and let them tell you what I did. What I'm going to do is going to be fun, and I guarantee Peyton is going to blush. I'm going to call my Dad and get him in on it too." "Jim, I can't wait to hear Jaiden tell me what you did. Have a great evening." "You too, Peggy."
Phyllis looked at Jim and told him not to be too bad when he called Peyton. Jim said he fully intended to have as much fun as possible with this.
"Seth, do you want to have some fun with me picking on Peyton?" "Yes, sir, what did he do?" "Son, listen when I start talking to your brother. You can chime in when you hear me ask him what Nathan did to him as he was bathing Jimmy." Seth had an idea this would be a fun phone call, and he had a grin from ear to ear.
"Jaiden, this is Dad; is Peyton available?" "Yes, sir, he is sitting right here." "Good, would you please put your phone on speakerphone?" "OK, we are on speakerphone."
"Hey num nut, I hear you got a haircut tonight. How long is it going to take the hair to grow back?"
"Dad, I wouldn't call it a haircut as much as I would a snatch-out. It still hurts, and my eyes are sore from how they bulged out when the grab was made." "Son, you have got to look funny with a bald spot in the middle of your pubic hair. Didn't you think of the chance of that happening if you were kneeling on the floor bathing one of my grandsons? You know those boys are kin to Jenny and are apt to pull every trick in the book on you, or should I say every hair on you?"
Seth was about to die laughing at his Dad ribbing his brother. "Peyton, I can't wait to tell Sally." "Seth, you better not. Dad may be the jokester in the family, but I am the king of getting even." Seth was laughing when he said, "We'll see about that."
Dad Riley was laughing when he told Peyton to put a little Campo Phenique on the spot, and it would stop hurting, and then thanked him for the laugh and said, "Good night, Son, I hope you, Jaiden, and your brothers have a good week."
"Seth, Peyton just thinks he is the king of getting even; watch this."
"Hey, Andy, this is Jim. I have something you can have fun with in class Monday morning." "What is that, Jim?" Dad Riley told Andy about the babies first spaghetti dinner and how their dads were bathing them in the shower when Nathan pulled his stunt. Andy laughed so hard he started coughing like Peggy had. "Jim, I will have some fun with this information on Monday morning. Call Peyton Monday evening and ask him how the class went." "I will do that, Andy. Text me and let me know how badly Peyton blushes." "Jim, you know I will. Have a good evening." "You, too, Andy."
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I trust you all had a great weekend. I understand one of your classmates was injured over the weekend and was in quite a bit of pain. I hope he is feeling better this morning after yesterday's incident. As I understand it, he was kneeling in the shower, bathing his namesake, when his spouse's namesake grabbed a particular patch of hair and tried to pull himself up. I was told the Dad's eyes bulged so severely they were still hurting this morning and that it took him some time to get his breath back when the event occurred. I won't say who it was, but I will suggest that when he is in the shower bathing his sons that he might want to wear a swimsuit."
Everybody in the class knew who it was, and they were about to die laughing because Peyton's face was blood red.
Peyton looked at Jaiden and said, "Just wait, I will get Dad back for this if it is the last thing I do!" Jaiden lost it and started laughing so hard it got the class laughing again. Peyton wasn't amused, so there is a reasonable probability Jaiden will not be having a calisthenic session in the bedroom later in the evening.
Dale's and Charley's dads called and said they had heard what happened to Peyton and thought it was hilarious. Dale got an idea about how to let Peyton know he knew what had happened. Charley found a golf ball, painted it light brown, and then cut it in half in the machine shop at Penn State. When he got home, he handed Peyton the sliced golf ball and said, "Bro, glue this to the bald spot; it'll help cover it up." Peyton promised Charley he was going to get him back for what he just did. Charley started laughing and walked to his bedroom.
Jaiden was trying his hardest not to laugh out loud. Still, it was a losing effort as he walked to and high-fived Charley saying, "Bro, that was so damned funny, you couldn't have come up with a better way to take a jab at Peyton. Text his Dad and let him know what you did; he'll get a kick out of that story."
When Dad Riley got Charley's text, he laughed so hard tears started flowing from his eyes. He took his phone and showed the message to Phyllis. When she read it, she let out a laughing-yelp that made everybody in the office wonder what was going on. They knew it was something Dr. Riley had stirred up with Peyton; it had to be.
When Jim went back to seeing pet-patients, Phyllis told the ladies in the office what happened and showed them the text from Charley. You could have heard them laughing a mile away. The rest of the day went well for everybody in the clinic. Sadly, it was at Peyton's expense. They didn't want to embarrass him any more than he already was, so they didn't say a thing when he called. He knew they knew because he could hear them hysterically laughing after his call was transferred to his Mom.
"Mom, tell Angie I know she knows what happened, and I can hear her laughing, and I'm not amused!"
"Peyton, don't go getting your briefs in a wad; that has happened to every parent, including your Dad, who will never admit it. You were eight-months-old when he had you in the shower to bathe you. You slipped and grabbed the handiest thing near you. I wish you could have heard him yell; I promise you it was hilarious. When he walked into the bedroom, he was literally walking on his tip-toes."
Peyton could finally laugh at his situation and thanked his Mom for telling him the story. Jaiden walked into the den, and Peyton said, "Sweetheart, I know precisely how I am going to repay Dad for getting the banter started over what Nathan did to me." "And what is that going to be, Babe?" "Mom just told me I did the same thing to Dad when I was 8-months-old and slipped in the tub while he was bathing me. He has never said anything about it, but I will at the right time!"
"Peyton, be careful; don't embarrass him. He was just having a bit of fun like he always does."
"Damn, Babe, now you have to go and be the level-headed one." Jaiden started laughing but suddenly stopped. "Peyton, tell Andy to ask your Dad if his hair ever grew back. That will be the best way to get him back without any warning." "Babe, that is genius. Seth will have a good time with this when he finds out about it, and he will find out!" "Peyton, you are so bad!" "Yes, I am, Love, and I was trained by the best."
Tuesday, after school, Peyton got a call from his Mom. "Son, you hilariously won the salvo with your Dad. Andy called just after lunch, and your Dad blushed the color of a fire truck while he was talking to Andy. He has no choice but to admit you won this salvo. When Seth finds out, he is going to have a ball with this. He has your sense of humor, so I promise you, he will find out. If I didn't know better, Peyton, I would swear you and Seth are blood brothers; you are too much alike not to be." "Mom, that is too funny. Jaiden and I told you Seth was a hoot. I couldn't love him more if he were my blood brother."
"Son, we will forever be indebted to you and Jaiden for bringing Seth and Richard into our lives. Seth does something every day that makes us so proud and feel so blessed he is a part of our lives. I'm so very sorry he went through what he did, but I have to wonder if Hashem let that happen so he could come to us."
"Knowing you were part of helping him..., damn-it, I said I wasn't going to cry about this anymore."
"Mom, it is OK to cry over Seth's pain; Jaiden and I still cry about him at times. When Sally thinks about Seth, it is like she is a million miles away. Jaiden and I believe Richard is still blaming himself for what happened to Seth, which is sad to Jaiden and me." "Peyton, I'll talk to your Dad and get him to call Andy and get his counselor friend to just happen to be near the classroom and speak to Richard after class." "Mom, thank you. I think that would do him a world of good, and if it appears to be a happenstance incident, I think he will be more amenable to talking to Melanie." "Good, Peyton, I'll get your Dad to take care of that today."
"Jaiden, I talked to Mom this afternoon about how Richard seems to still be blaming himself for what happened to Seth. Dad will call Andy and get him to set up a happenstance meeting with Melanie. She will just happen to be at Andy's office after class tomorrow. She'll get Richard to sit down and talk to her in one of the conference rooms."
"Peyton, I am happy to hear that. Richard needs to understand that what happened to Seth was not his fault. He couldn't help Seth until he got himself into a position to help. He could have gone to DFCS or the police and talked to them, but they would probably have put Seth in foster care. Richard would never have known where Seth was, and Seth, more likely than not, would not be your new brother having the time of his life with your parents in Orange Beach. He surely wouldn't be getting the education he is getting right now."
"Babe, you're right. Do you realize you are doing it again?" "Doing what, Love?" "Being the level-headed one for a change." "Peyton, I love you, too! Come here." Peyton walked to Jaiden, who pulled him into a tight, loving hug. "Peyton, look at me." When Peyton looked up at Jaiden, Jaiden kissed him lightly on his lips, pulled Peyton's head to his chest, and kissed the top of his head.
"Sweetheart, you are such a wonderful, loving person, and I love you more than anything in this world, and I always will."