Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and in no way should be considered to be about anyone in particular. Normal disclaimers apply. Mental Illness depicted in this story can be a touchy subject and suicide or suicidal tendencies do exist in real life but this story doesn't condone them. On the contrary this story shows how much better life can be, with love and the proper help and support.
You can't always get what you want.
You can't always get what you want.
You can't always get what you want.
But if you try sometimes....
You just might find.
You get what you need....
Mick Jaguar/Rolling Stones
"John Gets What He Needs" by Hogan
Chapter One
John Clark
The Gentle Giant
At age 25, John was 6 feet 8 inches, 245 lbs, and white hair, not blonde...he was a true blonde with a muscular hairy chest you couldn't really see until you were up close. His hair was so fine and white.
John wasn't one of those gym rats that had to go workout 3 or 4 times a week. He just took good care of himself, ate right, and with all those hours of "shootin hoops" that he loved to do, he was in better shape than most without frequent trips to the gym. Wintertime in Indiana didn't stop him from playing ball either. Many of the aged elementary schools would have "open gymnasium" in the evenings so a lot of guys got together for one on one or if there were enough that showed up, they'd play full court games.
John was a gentle giant to all who knew him, almost goofy at times, and radiated an eternal child at heart. Nothing penetrated his world of easiness, and most could sense it after being in contact with him in only a few minutes of conversation. He had always been a leader of his own destiny; never following anything or anyone but only focused what he was intent on doing.
Don't get me wrong, John was no push over by any means, he could hold his ground against the best of them. He had an angry stare that would make many back down without having to show his fighting abilities. He had dodged many bar fights by mostly just staying calm. His large presence was intimidating till he spoke and gave you that big grin with those piercing blue eyes.
He did well in school growing up, never really having to apply himself to make good grades. John wasn't what you called very athletic, but basketball was his passion. I swear the man played at least 5 times a day. He's the type that would see a game being played at a local park, just walk up and immediately be accepted into the game. I guess more of it was because of his size than his way with people on the basketball court. Anyone who came into contact with him would be instantly drawn to him. I don't think he ever really met a person he didn't like, except maybe a few tight-ass cops or some military personal.
All though he was a very large man, he was cursed to be a late bloomer as a teenager. When he was a senior in high school he was still only at the height of 5 feet 8 inches. . Not exactly starter material for the basketball team at that height so he never was picked up on the team. Barely a hair anywhere except on his head and crotch. He only started growing hair all over his face, chest, legs, pits and arms after he turned about 18. It wasn't till after he graduated and went into the Air force that he went through his last growth spurt.... a big one at that.
John served his 3 years in the Airforce but decided it wasn't the career move he was hoping for. He'd also found a girl and married her in Georgia while he was stationed there. The marriage didn't last much longer than over a year and ended in divorce. John decided not to re-enlist and moved back to his hometown in Indiana after his divorce and discharge. After all, there wasn't anything holding him there in Georgia since his marriage fell apart and he was no longer govt. property issue.
His father got his job application put on the top of a pile of hopeful applicants at the local phone company by knowing an old buddy who worked there. In the real world this is how it worked for the most part. Luck or being at the right place at the right time had little to do with getting a good paying job when you hadn't gone to college. Being in the service always seemed to help, some out of patriotic duty people felt. And to some employers, a person coming from the military was seen as someone who was mature and disciplined which made for a good employee to hire.
Installing and or repairing phone lines and equipment was what he applied for. Of course he got the job with his fathers connections. Some of the electronics training he had received in the Air force also paid off. After being in training for a few months learning the ropes he was on his own and driving a company work van.
He liked his job. He drove the company van around and enjoyed the semi freedom of not having to be in one place all the time; it was just the opposite of being in the military and having to ask when and how to wipe your own ass. Everyday was a new adventure or at least it was something different and kept him interested. Sometimes he would be on call during off hours, but normally he worked a 9 to 5 shift. During storms he'd be busy working long hours, but never minded it much since the overtime pay was great.
Besides after a year working for the company, John bought a three-bedroom fixer upper that he spent many weekends working on. He still had years of work to do, but it was coming along to his satisfaction. He was in no hurry and since it was just he living there the constant messes of remodeling wasn't much of a problem. His father was a carpenter by trade so all those many projects he helped his dad on growing up had paid off. The extra overtime he got from time to time helped him afford materials to keep the remodeling going.
He spent many stormy nights out in the countryside resetting breakers or replacing burnt out electrical boards at sub stations. Mostly caused by lightening or some other natural disaster that came with the spring and summer storms. Rare ice storms in the winter would also caused havoc on the region. Most of John's service area was usually in very rural areas outside of town. Country roads, farms, homes and cornfields dotted the landscape.
On one particular early warm summer evening, a cold front came in from the northeast just after dark. It produced a storm of heavy rain, wind and of course lightening. There was defiantly a lot of repair work to do. Parts of the county had lost their phone connections due to the high winds and electrical storm and it was going to take all night to get everything connected back to the grid.
No one was seriously injured by the time the worst of the storm passed through. Now all was that remained of the storm was wind and lots of rain. Even though there had been light damage, mostly limited to trees limbs and signs blown all over the place, They had dodged the bullet once again. Occasionally John seen lawn furniture in trees and chuckled at the odd site.
Most had escaped another potentially disastrous storm without having a Tornado tear up everything they owned, but people still get quite testy when their electricity and phone service has been interrupted. After such an event everyone employed at the phone company was working to get all the lines up and running as soon as possible. This meant working into the night till it was done if necessary.
John went from job to job that was being sent to him through his wireless computer the van had; luckily the cell towers hadn't been interrupted so he could get his work orders. Well to be honest luck didn't have much to do with it. The phone company had back up systems and generators and was well prepared for all too common events like this. Indiana was very familiar with fierce late afternoon storms in the spring and summer that would roll through.
After about 4 am he was on his way to the last job he was assigned. It was an old connection box along side a road that wasn't getting a signal and left everyone down the old country road just off the State Road 18 without phone and computer service. John serviced this site a few times before. This particular piece of equipment was old and always causing trouble. Seemed to go off grid even when a horse farted while moseying by pulling an Amish buggy. It was equipment that needed upgraded and was scheduled to be replaced with newer equipment later in the summer, but for now a quick fix would do till then. As he drove up to the connection that stuck out of the ground about 4 ft. He could see the State Road close by, flashing lights were coming down 18 as he stopped the van at the edge of the country road so he knew all the govt. agencies and utility companies were busy that night after the storm.
`Man just this last quick job and I can go home and crash for 8 hours since its Friday and I'll have the rest of the weekend off'. John thought as he gathered the tools he needed and pulled back on his rain gear since the rain still hadn't let up much.
John hesitantly got out of the warm and dry comforts of the company van only to be pummeled by the cold wind and rain. He began his short trek walking down into the dark ditch next to the road where the phone connection box was located. It didn't take him long to replace a connection that had been fried from the lightening. He ran a few tests on the connection to see if it was working properly. All was fine so he started heading back up out of the ditch to his van when the beam of his flashlight caught something that attracted his attention.
"What the FUU," john stammered.
`I hope that's not what I think...Shit it is, its a body...oh crap'
The rain continued coming down at a steady pace, the wind howled in gusts making the rain feel even colder. The flashlight beaming through the rain had shinned to light a very dirty and wet body lying lifeless in the ditch face down half covered with debris. He wasn't sure how he missed it when he first came down. John observed the persons clothes were all dirty and cut up.
He hesitantly walked up closer to the motionless form and went to move some debris that was covering the head of the person. As soon as he uncovered the lifeless being he noticed it was a guy, dark hair. Maybe around his age or younger, it was hard to tell at this point. John tried to check for a pulse or any sign of breathing. He was no expert but the guy sure looked dead to him and was very cold to his touch. He could see cuts and bruises on his face.
`John wondered if he had got caught up in one of those tornadoes and it spit him out in this ditch from far away.' Twisters were notorious for appearing for brief periods out in the countryside without warning during a storm, then to dissipate a brief moment later without anyone knowing the wiser. John ran back to his van and called his dispatcher to tell her what he had found.
John picked up the radio and began signaling the dispatcher. "Ruby this is John in van #24...come in".
"John, Ruby here, are you finished for the night?"
" Ruby...no... shit you aint gonna believe this but ...but... I found a body." Ruby was one of the company dispatchers from the main office in town.
"I'm at the last repair job on 550 south County road near 18. I'm pretty sure he's dead," John said breathing heavily as almost in shock of what he had witness.
"John what you mean...a body?" Ruby loudly questioned.
"Ruby it looks like someone was caught outside in the storm or was hit by a car and thrown into the ditch or something. I don't really know what happened to him but he looks pretty banged up. I checked for a pulse and breathing but he looks like he's gone, I'm not even sure how long he's been here." John replied back into the mic.
"John are sure he is dead," Ruby asked
"Geez Ruby I think so...but I sure aint gonna go back and see, damn I'm kinda freaking out here.... send me some help." John yelled back
"Ok just give me a minute."
The pause seemed like an eternity to John but finally after only a couple of minutes Ruby's reassuring voice could be heard once again.
"OK John...Stay there and wait for the sheriff, we've notified them and they said a patrol car was close by on 18. It'll be easy for him to find your location out there in the dark since your van has flashing yellow lights." Ruby relayed back to John trying to calm him.
After about 2 minutes John saw the emergency lights of the sheriffs car approaching. He didn't like being here alone with a dead body...gave him the willies.
He left the comforts of the van once again and shook hands with Andy. Andy was one of the county officers he had worked with before at a couple roadside accidents that had knocked down some lines. He'd also seen him about paroling the countryside before. John being the likable guy he was, chatted briefly with Andy many times. He seemed like a nice guy, not cocky like most officers he had meet on his job before. You know the type, they think they are all powerful ready to put handcuffs on anyone that don't jump high enough around them when they speak, `real butt wagers' he thought to himself.
"Man Andy I'm sure glad to see you, I haven't seen a dead body before." John said nervously.
"Hey no worries John being a sheriff you get use to it after seeing so many car accidents on the highways." Andy stated trying to reassure John. "Actually the only thing that usually gets to me these days is when kids are involved. Those are the ones you have a hard time forgetting about and try not to bring home with you." Andy said with reverence.
John didn't say anything to that but only motioned Andy to his `find'. They approached the man in the ditch and the sheriff leaned down to check if he was alive. He couldn't find a pulse either and called on his radio.
"Dispatch we have a fatality, male, around early 20s, cause of death unknown, send a wagon please."
The radio repeated Andy's call and acknowledged his command.
As the officer tried to pull the twisted body over to get a better look at him to see if he could find any identification in his pockets the body began to move with just a slight twinge. Both he and John jumped a foot back startled, immediately the officer called back over his radio,
" Requesting an ambulance at present location, possible severe injuries, victim has a pulse." Andy Bellowed back into his radio
Again the radio repeated Andy's command and acknowledged him.
The local hospital was also notified for the ER to be ready to receive him, as he would be transported as soon as the ambulance arrived. Andy hurried back to his car and got a blanket to put over the guy till the ambulance arrived. The sheriff proceeded to see if he could determine any injuries the man had. John helped him the best he could trying to be careful and not move the man any more than they needed to hoping not to further injure him. There was so much mud on him that it was hard to tell, but it did look like he had been through the ringer a few times, his clothes were in shambles.
The guy's eyes opened as they were trying to find a wallet in the young mans pants. He looked right into Johns blue eyes with a look of terror and shock
"Hey everything is going to be ok...Help is on the way... your gonna be ok you hear me... just hang in there guy, ok?" John said trying to calm and reassure the guy as much as himself. " Hey my names John what's yours...?"
No sooner than John had let out the sentence the man started pawing at the ground trying to get up and crawl away from them as he was scared or something They both tried to calm him and hold him still but the more they tried the more he continued clawing at the ground trying to break free and escape.
"He must be in shock from his ordeal." Andy offered to a wide-eyed John
John couldn't get over the terror he saw in those blue eyes, and the contrast to them from the rest of his dirty body. They were so bright and big and almost child like. It wasn't like they were looking at him but through him, like he wasn't registering that John was there. The man never made a sound the whole time he was trying to free himself.
Finally the ambulance got there and the paramedics started examining him trying to determine his extent of injuries. They didn't find anything they could see that looked too serious, maybe a badly broken leg and some bruised ribs, minor cuts and bruises but it was hard to tell from all the muddy and torn up clothes. They were concerned about internal injuries. The paramedics didn't waste anytime preparing him to be transported back into town. The man calmed down a bit but just kept staring into John's eyes.
John held his hand the whole time as paramedics did their jobs quickly with skill and concern. They then began to place him onto a gurney to get him into the ambulance. The man wouldn't release John's hand. John's big hand was starting to ache from the little mans grip. Finally the strangers hand had gone limp as the man went unconscious again, just as he was when John first found him.
As the ambulance headed towards town with their patient with the lights and the sirens blaring, Andy was using his flashlight to look through the guy's wallet he had fished out of the pants pocket.
Andy showed John that there wasn't much there. "Looks like we have a John Doe until this guy can tell us who he is, He doesn't have any identification".
"Only a two dollar bill, which is odd since you don't see those very often. A business card to a mental wellness center in Toledo, and a photo of a German Shepard with the name Jacob on the backside."
"The card has an appointment date written on it from 3 weeks ago." Andy included
"Here John, use these antiseptic wipes on your hands when you get back to your van. Make sure you don't have any cuts and if you do stop off at the ER and have them take a look. You can't be too careful about catching diseases from perps and victims who have injuries." Andy said
"Thanks Andy I will." John patted Andy on the shoulder for thinking of his safety.
"So Andy how are you going to find out who he is?"
" Maybe he'll be able to fill us in as to who he is and what he was doing out here in the countryside. We are a good 200 miles from Toledo if that is where he's from. If he can't speak or able to tell us anything I guess well try missing persons in Ohio and see what we find after he gets treated for his injuries." Andy looks up at John." Well that is... if he makes it." Andy shuts his trunk lid of the cruiser.
John looked back at Andy and felt bad for the guy and a little worried that maybe Andy didn't think he was going to pull through his ordeal. Andy sure had more experience in seeing stuff like this than he had.
"Andy thanked John for his help and they both left towards town in their separate vehicles. During Johns drive back he couldn't believe what a night it had been and he was starting to feel the tiredness of the day hit him after the adrenalin was escaping his body. His thoughts on the drive back were of wonder about the guy they found.
`What happened to him, why did he look so petrified? He looked like he was scared to death. Was it from the storm or did something happen to him on the road?'
`Was he crazy'? John pondered
He did have a mental illness apt card in his wallet. He couldn't help but think about the poor guy. `How did he get to this place and point in his life?' John wondered
John couldn't get over those blues eyes either. Even with the terrified look in them he could still see they were the brightest blue eyes he'd ever seen, almost glowing in the darkness. He couldn't tell much about what he looked like except he thought he had black hair; it was really hard to tell cause it was so caked with mud and debris. He was a smaller looking fellow, kind of skinny too, but then again everyone looked small to him since he was so tall. John chuckled too himself.
He also thought it was strange the man never said a word, or even a moan or any noise the whole time, maybe it was just the rain and wind that he couldn't hear anything, he wasn't sure. He was sure beat though from working all night after working an 8-hour shift that day also. All he wanted to do now was get home, have a hot shower and then pass out in his bed. As he got into town he had to pass the hospital on his way home. John didn't know why since he was so tired and his hands were fine and free of cuts, but he thought he'd stop and see how the (john doe) was doing so far and if they had found out anything from him yet.
He noticed Andy's patrol car was at the ER entrance so he decided to stop, half curious half nosey he thought. John saw Andy at the ER desk and came up too him to see if he found out anything yet
"Any news on how he's doin?"
"No nothing defiantly, just got here myself about 20 minutes ago, they are still working on him. Nurses have been filling me in on what they know so far."
" Doesn't look too serious but his right leg is broken badly, that they know for sure the way it was twisted so. I'm sure the x-rays will tell all when they come back soon. Some lab work has already confirmed he is severally malnourished and dehydrated. They are pumping him full of IV's right now."
John strolled down the hallway with Andy to check out to see how the patient was doing now that the hospital staff was working on him, One of the nurses was cutting the guys remaining clothes off cause they were so ripped up and dirty. It was impossible to see how badly hurt he was until they could actually find some skin. The little guy was still unconscious while they were working on him, and guessing that was probably a good thing, `at least he didn't feel any pain.' John thought to himself.
John figured that the hospital staff was going to be busy working on him for a while. So he asked Andy "You think it would be alright if I checked on him tomorrow... err I mean later today after I got some sleep and come back and see how he is doing." It was now going on 6AM.
"Yeah I'll make sure you're on the list to be able to visit him, since it doesn't look like he'd have any family around here." Andy expected he was just traveling through drifting till the storm got him.
"Hey thanks a lot Andy and thanks for being there, I owe yeah." John smiled at Andy
Andy smiled back at John but didn't say anything.
"Hey catch you later Andy and if you find out anything please let me know. Kind of curious as to what's this guys story is."
Andy said no problem, that he was just as curious himself. And was hoping he wasn't any danger to himself or to anyone else pointing to the mental heath apt card and giving John a slight frown.
They said their good byes and John was off to his house for that long awaited shower. He was dead tired and hungry, but too tired to eat till after he got some well needed sleep.
As soon as John got home he was shucking off those wet clothes the entire stretch to the bathroom from the front door. Time he got there he was down to his boxers and turned the water on in the shower to let it warm up. After he got the water temperature adjusted. John pulled his boxers down and slipped into the hot steamy shower and felt the water cascade down his back and chest.
Tucking his head under the showerhead to get his hair wet, He put his hands out and leaned against the tiles while the hot water warming his big frame. John stayed under the showerhead for what seamed like 10 minutes, warming his body slowly back up from that cold windy rain the storm had brought through. While John soaped up his body slowly he began thinking about that poor guy again.
For some reason his eyes haunted him. `Was it shock or down right terror in his eyes? What happen to him? Why didn't he speak, or even cry out in pain? Why did his eyes seem to stare at him like an innocent child did when he didn't understand something?' John wondered
` Maybe he was just mentally ill and was out of it?' John didn't have answers for any of his questions, but was hoping the guy was going to be ok. He had never been around someone that he knew of that was mentally ill and didn't quite know what to think or expect.
`I defiantly will check and see how he's doing later today when I get up from a long nap to recharge myself.' John thought convincing himself.
John finished his shower, even managed to stroke one out before the water turned cold. He massaged one of his hairy nipples while he used his other hand to slowly stroke his 7 inches of hard slippery cock sliding through his fingers with the help of plenty of shower gel. He usually would have his ex in his thoughts when he was stroking himself, but now and again he'd think about the last hot babe he had encountered and that would always help him along. He shot a nice load onto the newly tiled shower he did himself, and watched his cum slowly run down and get washed away from the water splashing in downward cascades.
It relaxed John and would help him sleep better that he released some tension.
John dried off and climbed into bed nude and was out in seconds. He was so exhausted that he was in a deep sleep with in minutes, He dreamed about the little guy and didn't remember much about the dream when he awoke about 5 hours later. Hungry pains hit him as soon as he opened his eyes. John got up and got dressed and went into the kitchen to make some coffee to wake him up. He looked at the clock and it was almost 1PM. He was glad he didn't sleep any longer cause he would be screwed trying to sleep again tonight.
John got his coffee started and dressed while it brewed. He looked over at the string of clothes on the floor he had taken off early that morning and chuckled too himself. `Damn lucky your divorced, or an argument with the ex would have been transpiring about now'. John quickly took all the wet clothes and put them into the hamper to be washed later today.
He decided after his coffee he would pick himself up a Jimmy Johns sub sandwich on the way to the hospital to check on the little guy. He didn't much feel like cooking today.
John wondered if Andy had found out any details concerning their new little wondering friend. He picked up his phone and dialed Andy's cell number while sipping his fresh brew. He had given it too him a couple of months back Andy handed him his personal sheriffs card when they were at an accident scene. A car had hit a telephone pole and snapped it in half. He had written on the back his home number also.
The cell began to ring and Andy picked it up on the 6th ring. A very Groggy "Hello" came from the other end. Andy had still been asleep.
"Hey Andy this is John, guess you were still asleep sorry man for waking you up, I forgot you had and early morning too." John said apologetically
"Hey no problem I needed to get up anyways. Can't sleep all day, still have to check out the Ohio data banks for missing persons."
"So you think he's missing then, he didn't tell you anything last night?"
"No he was out of it most of the time, but when he did wake up he didn't talk or answer any of my questions. The Dr.s aren't sure why he's not speaking. They did say he had a really high tolerance to pain. He barely registered that he was an any pain at all, especially considering he was pretty banged up."
"After they got him cleaned up and examined they found he had two broken ribs and a broken leg. The leg was broken in two places."
" The really odd thing is that the ribs have been broke for a while though, they estimated maybe a couple of weeks or more. The x-rays showed they had already started healing. But the leg was recently broken last night in the storm. Also after they got him cleaned up from all the dirt and mud they noticed he has bruises and cuts all over his body."
`Yeah I noticed he had several on his face last night."
" Some old, some new. He looked like he has been in several fights. And that's not including the one with Mother Nature last night." Andy chuckled at his own joke
"Some also are expected to be... well they aren't sure yet, but they look like might be self-inflicted."
"What do you mean Andy?"
" They have seen similar cuts on patents before. That's another reason why they are going to do a physiological evaluation on him. Well that... and the card we found in his wallet."
They are going to have a shrink visit him tonight sometime after some of the drugs wear off. He will be more coherent then too."
" He's also in restraints until we find out more about him just to be safe. You can go check on him at the hospital if you want, but I'm sure he'll be asleep probably for a while."
"He's still in ICU for the rest of the day to keep a close eye on him then moving him to a single bed room till we find out his story."
He will be in room C204 by the evening if you still want to go visit him."
"Yeah I sure do Andy, seems this guys needs us looking out for him for a while." John smirks
"I told the nurses it was ok for you to see him. If you still wanted to pay a visit. But be careful and watch yourself we don't know anything about him yet ok?"
" John I know you're a big guy and can take care of yourself, but without knowing anything about him lets be safe till we know more."
" No problem Andy just wanted to have a look, kinda curious about this little guy, not everyday you find a body in a ditch yeah know." John said laughing out loud.
"Well that's true John."
"Well... hey Andy... I'll let you go and thanks a lot for the 411."
"Anytime John, Ill catch you around soon I'm sure... later." Andy closes his cell and lays in the bed and stares at the ceiling with a morning hard on yelling for both attention and release. It was past noon, but his cock didn't know that. Andy thinks about going back to sleep for a while to see if he could continue his hot dream he was having before John called him out of it. `Damn...just when it was getting interesting too' Andy frowned. He doesn't go back to sleep but instead slowly strokes his 6-inch cock while he has a hot fantasy in his head. It's the same one he's been re-running in his head for the past couple of months.
John arrived at the Hospital and went up to the nurse's station at the ICU ward. He looked at the nurse's nametag, which said Lindsey; he smiled at her and asked which room (John Doe) was in calling her by name. She took a look at John and gave him back a smile and that flustered look he gets a lot from women. She asked for his name and checked the list to see if he was on it.
She looked back up from the chart and told him which room and what direction to go then threw him another seductive smile. Johns was use to women coming on too him a lot. He wasn't conceited about it, more like he got embarrassed than anything. `It was the blonde hair and being tall they all seem to like.' John told the nurse thanks and gave her back a grin and then left down the hall.
John found the little guys room and slowly ventured in. He was asleep so John tried to be quiet as he approached the bed to get a better look at the mystery fellow. He could see the IV's in his arms. The restraints on his wrists were visible and a cast cocooned his left leg.
He was right, the guy did have black hair and it hung down his forehead to one side. He looked like he was about Johns age maybe a year younger. It was hard to tell with a black eye and the small cuts on his face to be sure. John could see the cuts on his arms that Andy was talking about earlier on the phone. There were several short cuts side by side as if a large animal clawed him. There were several sets of them up and down his arms, some newer, some older, some almost faintly visible. His ribs were covered up so he couldn't see if they were bandaged or not. John imaged they were since they were broken. He observed the guy sleeping and was wondering what his name could possible be. He had seen on his chart at the end of the bed they had him listed as John Doe.
The nurse came in from behind John and checked on the IV's, John asked if he was still unconscious, she said no just sleeping cause of the pain medication.
" He wakes up every now and then but can't stay awake for long before he goes out again." She explained.
John asked if he has spoken yet, and the nurse replied no. She said that he didn't respond to people when he was awake. He seems to be totally shut off from the world.
As the nurse was talking to John seen him start too stir and open his eyes slowly, he looked around the room blankly till he gazed over at my direction. His eyes got bigger and more open as if had recognized me. His hand grabbed mine cause it was close to where his restraints were and held onto my hand tight. The nurse noted this and said it may be a good sign since he was the first person he has even acknowledged
His grip was strong, but his hand was so much smaller than Johns. It really didn't bother him much so he let him hold on to his hand. His eyes never left John.
Hi...do you remember me? My names John."
"I'm the one that found you last night."
He didn't respond or even make any movements; he just continued to hold onto his hand and stared at John. He noticed that even with all these cuts and bruises he was a nice looking guy, wondered why he had it so rough and who would do such a thing to him or to himself for that matter.
"What's your name?"
There was no response to the question, he just drifted off too sleep again. The nurse said that was at least more than he had done before. She said she thinks that for some reason he either trusted John or just remembers it was he that found him. Finally his grip left his hand as the guy went to sleep but John continued to hold onto his hand for a while longer.
John decided he'd better go and let him sleep. He would return later tonight and check on him again, or maybe tomorrow after his pain medication wore off some.
On the short drive back home John was hungry again so he picked up a pizza to eat for dinner. He still didn't feel like cooking today and making a mess in the kitchen to be forced to clean up. He was still tired from working the long double shift and was intent on taking it easy the rest of the day.
`Maybe shoot some hoops later in the driveway then catch up on his weekend chores,' John thought.
Besides the weird circumstances he was wondering why he couldn't get this little dude out of his mind, maybe he just felt sorry for him, but after thinking about it more and more John realized after seeing him cleaned up, he could actually see what he looked like.
John realized he reminded him of his high school buddy Evan. He missed him too when he thought how close they were, then drifted apart as their lives went in separate directions. John in the Air force and Evan had moved to California. John hadn't heard from him since High school till one day last year. He didn't even see him at graduation. Someone told him later that he had graduated early and didn't attend the ceremony with the rest of the class.
John thought that was kind of weird cause after all those years of being in school, you'd think he'd want to have the graduation ceremony. Evan was kind of weird like that, didn't have many friends, not that he wasn't likeable, but he was really a shy person if he didn't know yeah.
John sat on the couch drinking a beer just looking into space remembering what all had happen in the last years before he'd grown up be life got all complicated.
John
Evan and I had a blast hanging out together, especially in the summertime. We would go camping, canoeing, skinny-dipping. The first time I seen a girl naked was with Evan and Melissa, a girl we both knew from school and she lived a few houses down from Evan. One day we were skinny dipping, getting away from the heat of the summer at the local reservoir. You were not supposed to swim there. But we did anyways. Got caught one time by the DNR, but he just told us to leave. All three of us were bare assed naked around 16 and checking each other out as we swam around.
Evan was the first to get his license and a car in our neighborhood so he was the one that picked us all up in the morning to go to school. We all hated riding the bus. We thought we were big shit being able to ride in a car and come and go when we wanted to. Evan and I hung out everyday almost; slept over at each other's houses and I shot hoops all the time. Evan never did, he would sit in the shade and watch me and others play for hours never complaining that he was bored. Just quiet as usual when others were around, but when it was just he and I, he babbled non stop sometimes.
One day when I was 17, the summer before my senior year I'd finally got lucky and got laid. I managed to lose my virginity to a girl from school that was baby-sitting a kid; it gave us a place to do the deed.
I told Evan all about it and he seemed kind of surprised at the whole thing. Heck I thought he and Melissa had done it long ago. He was just the kind of person not too go around telling everyone. So I guess I just didn't ask him. After that, things got kind of weird, he withdrew and didn't come around as much and when we did see each other he was acting different. I started hanging out with another bud I had, named Tom, and we just drifted apart. I'd see him in the halls at school during the first semester of our senior year, we'd briefly speak but it was awkward now. He started acting nervous around me like he always was with everyone else.
Sometimes when I had a free period, I would go to one of his art studios to pop in and say hi and see what his last masterpiece was. The dude was talented. He could paint, sketch and even do sculpture. I on the other hand was not gifted in art at all but I still knew he had a lot of talent. I was always amazed while watching him use his hands in almost a trance like state when he was painting or sketching something. It was like he wasn't even there. I swear sometimes when he was sketching something for a class project. He would be examining the object that the class was all drawing and wouldn't even be looking at his canvas for long periods of time. It was like he was sketching more from his eyes than his hands; his hands automatically mimicked what he was looking at.
After winter break was over and the second semester had started I didn't see Evan any more at school. First I thought maybe his classes just were on opposing sides of the school. It was a large high school. It would be easy to not run into someone. I finally decided to ask Mr. Biscking if Evan was in his class this semester since he taught all the advanced art studies.
He told me that Evan graduated early since he had enough credits to do so and he was already 18. He was allowed to skip the last semester. I was actually shocked that Evan would miss at least the art classes he could take and so was Mr. biscking. He knew Evan and I were friends cause heed let me come in and watch him during class when I'd have a free period. He was surprised I didn't know he had left school. He knew Evan wasn't acting the same the last semester, he was more withdrawn and his art was defiantly changing in tone and in what he turned in. Not that it wasn't its same brilliant work, but he seemed to show more of a dark cast to his paintings and sketches. Mr. biscking thought for a moment then asked if I ever seen his last drawing he worked on. I told him no I hadn't seen him in a while. Evan never bothered to pick back up before he left. I said sure id love to see his work.
Mr. biscking showed me a charcoal sketch of a nude he had done of a guy. And I swear my mouth gaped open as I first laid my eyes on it. It was me...I was fucking nude from the back looking around to the left in the pencil drawing. I told Mr. biscking that looked like me and Mr. biscking knew I looked shocked and confused as how Evan could of drawn me naked. He told me that he thought Evan had drawn it from his memory and just filled in the rest.
Everyone knew Mr. Biscking was gay but he was cool and most students really liked him. He didn't try to hide it, nor flaunt it either. He was actually very normal acting for an Art teacher. Evan said he had taught him a lot was grateful to him for helping him improve.
The sketch was wonderfully done except the expression on my face. I was sad looking almost like I was crying. I thought that was damn odd since he never saw me cry or even upset. I'm the happy lucky go guy. He was the somber one most of the time unless we were having a good time, which we mostly did. After thinking about it, I wasn't surprised that Evan would have been able to drawn me from memory, especially since he watched me for hours play basketball while he set in the shade many times.
I asked what he was going to do with the drawing. He turned it around so I could see the back of the canvas and in the left bottom corner it read
EVAN'S DAVID... I didn't know what it meant. Mr. Biscking thought he was trying to say that this was his David, like Michelangelo's David was to him. I didn't really get it but I wasn't into art much, now basketball I knew all about, but the art stuff I didn't know much. He said he hated to part with the sketch since it was so well done, but that he thought Evan would be pleased if I had it. I agreed to take it home because I wanted something of Evans work. But mostly I just didn't want everyone that went to art class to see me butt assed naked.
He put it in cardboard protector, which I was glad. I didn't want to walk through the halls with my ass out on display for everyone to see. I quickly took it to my car and brought it home, I think it is still in attic with some of my other stuff that's boxed up. I never did show it to anyone. Not sure why. Maybe I was shy about it being a nude, or maybe I was kinda weirded out about Evan thinking of me being nude when he had drawn it. I tried not to think about it.
Anyways I hadn't seen Evan for about 6 years. Last id seen him was before winter break senior year. Then a year ago I ran into him at of all places, Soupleys liquor store. He was buying some vodka and I was inline behind him buying beer. He turned around to leave after paying for his poison and almost ran into me. He looked exactly the same as he did before, same height 5'8 150 lbs, didn't age much at all he would have been 24 then.
He didn't even recognize me and I didn't know he was back in town. Last I knew he was still in California somewhere. He looked up at me and said oh sorry man I didn't see you there. Then his eyes darted back to the ground. Same ole Evan I thought still shy as ever.
There was no recognition on his face at all that he even knew me and then proceeded to walked around me and stopped before I even had a chance to say anything. He turned around and gave me this weird look that was kind of shock and puzzlement. I almost forgot I was now a foot taller and was much larger than when we hung out in high school so I wasn't really too surprised when he didn't recognize me.
He started to try to say something and I then piped in and said "hey Evan shit don't you know who I am, its John...John Clark." He just kinda looked at me for a sec and said. "Hi, how are you?"
We exchanged shakes and made brief conversation, said he moved back six months ago from California. I told him I was home also from the Air force for three years now. He didn't know I was even in the military he'd said.
During most of the brief conversation Evan and I had, his eyes were on the ground and only in brief quick glimpses did he ever look up at me. He looked the same as I remembered him, but there was something odd...even more so for Evan I mean I couldn't put my finger on it just yet, but he was defiantly different.
He said," well... I gotta get going, I'm running late." And we said "good-bye," and he was gone before I could say much else. I wanted to exchange info so we could get together sometime but I didn't have a chance to ask. It was weird for Evan not to recognize me. I mean I still looked the same I thought, just bigger. He seemed like he was in a hurry to get away from me for some reason I thought.
Actually I hadn't even thought about Evan much since then until I seen that dude in the hospital. It made me wonder what Evan was up to and why I didn't see him around town, or did he still live here? I had made up my mind to ask a mutual friend we had in school to see she could give the scoop on what Evan has been up to the last 7 years.
John finally got up off the couch and got some laundry and chores done around the house, then decided to take a break and make some calls. He had a message on his machine from his mom, she wanted to know he got in from work ok since she knew he had to work all night after the storm. John chuckled too himself like he always does and thought it was funny, he's 25 and his mom still worries like he's a kid. He called her and apologized for not calling back sooner. They talked for a while and said there normal love you's and byes.
He knew a nurse that worked at the Hospital on the ICU ward and decided to see if she knew how the patient was doing. They never dated but knew each other well through one of his buddies he played ball with.
John explained how he knew (John Doe) and asked how he was doing. She told him there had been some developments. The guy can talk they found out, but he had never talked to them when he was awake. John didn't understand and asked her to explain.
She said he was apparently was having a nightmare of some kind cause he was talking in his sleep. She also mentioned that he kept saying Johns name over and over in his sleep like he was trying to find him. She said he must have remembered John telling him his name when he was at the hospital. He was groggy and it stuck in his mind.
She also said that when he was awake he wouldn't talk or acknowledge their presence or answer any questions. Sometimes he acted scared of them like they were going to hurt him and he was easily startled...maybe still in shock she said. They were trying to get him to say his name but he just stared out the window till he fell back asleep.
John told her he'd come in tomorrow. John hung up and wondered about him, too many questions and no answers, maybe tomorrow some of them would get answered.
John
Well I got most of my chores done for the day, Tom Delong, a buddy of mine I've known since high school came over and shot hoops with me for a couple hours in the driveway.
Yeah first thing I did when I bought this house was put up a goal in front of the garage. Tom and I had been friends a long time but started hanging out more regularly after Evan and I had a falling out. If that's what you'd call it.
I remember back in high school... here I was barely hitting puberty and Tom already had a full thick beard and chest hair. Tom had dark Brown hair and was my height about 5'9" in school with average weight. Tom was a good guy but also kinda quiet, not really shy like Evan. He just didn't have a lot to say. Most of the time, it was due to the fact that he was constantly high when we were teenagers. I never really was into weed much. Yeah I wasn't a Saint or anything, Id smoked a bowl once in a while, but never really enjoyed it. Evan never really enjoyed it either. Drinking a few beers were more fun, I didn't much like the way it made me paranoid all the time when I was stoned.
Evan liked to drink also, but he didn't drink too often because he had a tendency to get really plastered when he did drink. He would be sick for two days afterwards. Id drink beer but Evan would always drink shots of Vodka or To-kill-yeah (tequila) as he'd say it
Evan was actually, now that I think about it, really a blast when he was drinking. His great personality that he so often hid from everyone else, but me, would flow out and be the life of the party. That is till he got so drunk id have to carry him to bed and let him sleep it off at my house.
Evan had a lot of nightmares when he slept, more so than most people it seemed to me. They were so bad they would wake me up in the bed and he'd never actually wake up from them but you could tell he was having them. I'd pull him up to me and hold him tight so he wouldn't fall out of bed.
Usually with me holding on too him with my arm around him, he settle back down and id fall back to sleep. Id ask him many times if he'd remember having a bad dream but he'd always say he didn't remember it. I wasn't always sure he was telling the truth cause sometimes you could see him mulling it over in his eyes. I never really pressed him on it, I figured if he didn't want to talk about it. I shouldn't make him upset by rehashing it all over again.
I never minded holding him up against my chest and keeping him safe from whatever demons that were gnawing on him at the time. I always felt just that much closer to him. Almost like a brother I never had I'd tell myself. Sometimes I would hold him up to my chest with one arm and just toss and stroke his hair away from his face. This seemed to calm him down till he was sleeping quietly again. Sometimes I would keep stroking his hair and watch over him while he slept even though the nightmare was over now. Guess it was my way of protecting my best bud the only way I knew how too.
He never objected to me holding him either, even when he'd wake up in my arms. One time my mom came in my room one morning and saw us snuggled together. I was just gotten awake and she quietly asked if anything was wrong. I whispered to her what was happening sometimes about his nightmares and she smiled at me and told me I was a good friend.
She did say she was a little startled at first to see us like that. For a moment she thought maybe we were, well as she put it, intimate. I kind of quietly chuckled and called her a perv. She laughed quietly too and then left the room. I have a great mom; she was always easy to talk too and seemed to understand when many parents wouldn't. Evan thought she was great too.
One reason Evan stayed with us so much was he adored my mom. She was a great listener and talker, her and Evan talked for hours while I watched sports (basketball) on TV. She treated him like a son, shed even get into his shit when he'd fuck up just as if it were I. I think he felt at home at my house. I never stayed over much at his house cause his parents were so strict. His parents were very religious and didn't tolerate drinking, especially underage drinking. My mom didn't allow me to drink either but she was realistic enough to know that boys were gonna be boys.
Evan spent a lot of time staying over at my house and sharing my bed with me like normal teenagers did at that age. I never stayed over much at his house cause his parents were so uptight.
Tom never really liked Evan much, said he was a weirdo, or he'd say he was one of those strange artists. Id always defend Evan and said he was a cool guy if you got to know him. But for some reason Tom never liked him. Tom to my knowledge never miss treated him, but then again their lives didn't cross a lot either. They both lived in different worlds and I thought the only reason they knew each other was from school and through me.
I told Tom what had happened last night and filled him in all the details about finding the guy in the ditch while working to clean up after the storm. Tom said that was one of the wildest things he's heard about in a while.
"Hey Tom, you ever run into Evan around town or heard anything about what he was up to."
I'm not sure why id be asking Tom but I thought there at least might be a time they had ran into each other, After all this isn't really that big of a town, maybe 60,000 at the most. Tom gave me a weird look when I asked him about Evan. He didn't speak right off and I wasn't sure if he looked like he was thinking about what he was going to say before he said it. Mull it over in his mind before he spoke to make it come out exactly as he wanted to, or if he was trying to remember who Evan was. Well shit... he did smoke a lot of weed back then I thought to myself.
I reminded him, "You remember Evan right?"
"Wow haven't thought about that turd in a long time, I thought he quit school and moved away to California to be do his gay artwork. Hadn't seen the weirdo since high school."
I just gave him a stare letting him know I wasn't pleased with the comments.
Tom faced me and went to say, " Hey I'm sorry I shouldn't have said it like that, fuck I hardly knew him. I just couldn't understand why you two were ever buds...I mean you never had anything in common except living a few blocks from him. Hell... he couldn't shoot a basketball if his life depended on it."
"Well shit Tom there's more to a friendship than common likes of sports, not like I was ever a big pot head like you when we hung out."
Tom chuckled at that and hit Johns arm.
"I ran into him a year ago."
I recalled the story to him. Tom didn't say much except," Sounds like the same ole Evan to me."
I just let it go, it was an old argument I didn't feel like getting into again with Tom. I asked him to let me know if and when he'd heard anything from anyone about Evan.
"Hey no problem, maybe you should ask Chris, she may know something. I think they are almost related or something."
"Yeah maybe I'll look her up in the book and ask her what he's up to or how I can get a hold of him."
"Well don't forget her last name isn't Hendricks any longer since she's married and got a kid now. She married that dude in a local band about 5 years ago. His name is Scott Huggins. They don't love each any more but still live together sleeping in different rooms. It's a strange arrangement they have going, but it seems to work for them. I got their number if you want it?"
"Sure...and why the hell do you have their number and know their life story?"
"Who you think I get my weed from goober." Tom chuckles.
"Dang dude when you gonna grow out of that shit Beavis?" John retorts back.
"Just as soon as you realize your not good enough to play Pro Basketball ...oh Tall Dim Witted One."
"Can still kick your wheezing ass all over the court." John smirks and hits Tom in the shoulder almost knocking him over.
Tom steadies himself and exclaims, "Oh shit I gotta jet. I've got a date tonight, thanks for the game bro." Tom proudly smiles." You gonna take out Sherry again anytime soon?"
"Naw... I doubt it, I don't think we really hit it off that well, besides its hard not to compare her to my ex. Maybe its still to soon to be dating, it doesn't go well when I do. I don't think I'm ready to start something up again just yet."
"Not really looking for a bar fly that's for sure. " John chuckles.
Tom understandingly says, "I hear yeah, you'll know when your ready, Butt shit dude it has been almost 3 years since you got a divorce...I sure hope your using lotion or your hand caused its gonna get chapped... Catch you later oh tall goofy one."
"Later Beavis and don't worry I'm sure you'll always lend me a hand when I need a rest." John smirks
"In your dreams...Sasquatch." Tom quips back walking to his car.
John goes back into his house and grabs some sunny delight, his favorite, from the fridge. Sits at the table and swigs his drink down and starts thinking of Becky his ex.
I seem to compare every girl I date with my ex wife without even knowing it, it still hurts she divorced me. Well even after she went out on me with another Air force dude, I tried to make it work, but she wanted out so we got a divorce. Guess I'm still not over it.
Kinda funny, John thought. She would get mad at me cause id never argue with her when I knew that's what she wanted to do. Even when she had an affair I still wanted to make it work, I can't help it I don't get angry and want to hurt people. It's just not my nature. She said if I cared for her, id kick the dude's ass. That it showed I didn't even care enough to get angry about it. Which was bullshit I was so fucking pissed my eyes hurt, I just didn't fill the need to hurt him for what she did also willingly. What would it resolve me hurting him bad? And there was know doubt I could of hurt him really bad with my size and strength, but it's just not my nature to deal with stuff with violence. Besides I never did tell her my little umm ...conversation with him the next day when I found out. I guess people are right
`I'm just a big ole "Gentle Giant" just as everyone keeps calling me. There are definitely worse things to be called I guess.'
`Besides I hope the bitch gets a fucking venereal disease and suffers... Sorry God, but you know the tramp deserves it.' John chuckles to himself
The phone rings while Johns in thought and answers it. Andy is on the other end.
Hey Andy how's it going?" John says
"Just thought I would take a break and let you know what I found out so far about John Doe." Andy says in the receiver.
"Anything good?" John says hopeful.
"Well there wasn't a missing person fitting our guy's description from Toledo, where the card was from. Actually nothing for all of Ohio and Indiana with missing persons. I can't talk to a live person at the Wellness Center in Toledo till Monday, but I have left a message with them on their voice mail."
"Looks like you got a good start so far Andy for a Saturday."
"Nothing off his fingerprints in our data bases either, so at least we can assume he hadn't been in trouble with the law."
"That's good news I guess."
"Maybe the shrink can get something out of him, he is expected to see him tonight sometime since he's on-call at the hospital. They wanted time for the pain shots to diminish before he talked to him."
The nurse told him that I was there and he seem to respond a bit too me, I told him maybe he just thought he saw a big giant towering over him and he got afraid and that's why his eyes focused on me, Andy laughed, Told him I was gonna go back later tonight to see him, but think ill wait till tomorrow when he's less doped up. Besides I was a bit tired from the hoops session with Tom.
"Hey one more thing before I let you go John."
"Sure what's up?"
"You know where we found him right? I mean you can find the exact spot in the daylight cant you?"
"Yeah no problem Andy, I've been there many times, there's a box there that gives me shit from time to time... why?"
"Well I'm a little embarrassed to say but I forgot to mark the spot on the road for further investigation. Thought maybe you could go back and see if you can find any of his personal effects in the daytime. It might help us find more about him". Andy said. "Hell I'm not sure what good it would of done to try to paint a mark on the street anyways with all that rain and wind."
"No problem Andy will be glad to do it, will drive out that way on Monday and see if I can find anything else."
After hanging up with Andy, John thought maybe he would ask him over for a beer and some hoops sometime, He seem to be in really good shape and he was a nice guy for a cop, not arrogant like most I have met. He may turn out to be a good friend and it's always good to have a friend on the police force. Can come in handy in a fix.
`Mental note to myself keep Tom and Andy away from each other,' John chuckles
End chapter one
Thanks for reading the first chapter. I know there wasn't any hot steamy sex scenes in this one, but I promise you that will come soon. This chapter was very important to write so the ones that follow will make more sense.
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