His father raised his finger to his lips and silently left the doorway. Matt knew he was a dead man.
Milt looked up at him and said "thanks Mattie. That was the best Punishment ever ever ever."
"Okay bro go get cleaned up. Brian will help you."
"Okay Mattie. Brian is my big friend now."
"That's right" Matt said slipping into a shirt and shorts quickly.
"Where you headin man?" Brian looked at Matt "you got an appointment or somethin?"
"Help Milt here with a shower and make sure he's okay. I'll be back in a second."
As Milt and Brian wandered off to the bathroom, both naked and sweaty, Matt inched his way to the parent's bedroom, suspecting he may never leave it alive.
He looked in and saw his dad staring out the window.
"Come in and close the door."
"Dad it's not wh-"
"Not one more word out of your mouth!" his dad wheeled around, his fist ready to deck him but just too angry to follow through.
"Dad it's not like that-"
"Shut up or I swear you'll regret it."
Matt slowly sank into the chair fearing the worst.
"I don't know what to say. I can't believe I really saw what I saw. That you would do that, and to your own brother!" he was trying to keep his voice down but it was a losing battle, "your own brother! and if that's not bad enough some fucked up friend of yours also, and he was... damn I can't even say it! I could kill the both of you!"
"Dad if you'll let me explain!"
"Explain! What do you have to explain? I could see what you were doing in plain sight! I never thought I'd see my own sons doing ... doing.. that!"
"It's my fault dad. I didn't mean anything bad to happen."
"And your friend what was-"
"It just happened. Milt and me were just wrestling and things just happened."
"Did your friend, did he make... did he force Milt to do... that?"
"No dad" Matt saw no way out "it was my idea. But it was never supposed to go that far... we were just goofing around. Things just got a bit a bit... y'know..."
"If Milt is injured in any way you are gonna wish you were never-"
"We didn't hurt him."
"Hurt him!" his dad's voice was cracking as it got louder "hurt him! Damn you you were raping him! Raping your own brother!"
"It was not raping!" Matt tried but saw the trap too late.
"What do you call it? You saying Milt was asking for that?"
"We didn't do anything he..." Matt saw no way out "he didn't really want to do..."
"So you trying to say it was his idea? HIS idea you bastard!"
"No it was my idea... no not my idea... we were just wrestling and..."
"Don't you dare say it was his idea... you know he's not responsible."
"No dad I said it was my fault!"
"If you hurt him..." and his dad started to come at him.
"Really we didn't force him, we didn't force him, it just happened."
"Well I don't care how it happened, we got to get him to the doctor to make sure nothing..." but he didn't know how to finish it.
"Really he's okay. He's not hurt. Dad, he's a big guy we didn't hurt him" but Matt saw it was no good.
"If he's injured in any way from this, you had better find another, another place to live."
"Dad you're not serious?"
"I mean it Matt. I can't believe you would do that. To your own brother! And with him not well! What were you thinking!!!"
At that moment the door opened and Milt came in, wearing his favorite football jersey, "Dad, don't yell at Mattie please."
He quickly backed away from Matt, lowering his fists, "Milt I'm not yelling. Matt and I were having a little talk."
"Don't yell at Mattie. I like my brother."
"But he did a bad thing Milt. A very very bad thing."
"No I'm bad. I did the bad thing" Milt was hanging his head, and almost starting to cry.
"No Milt you could not help it. It was Matt's duty to make sure you are okay and not do anything that would hurt you."
"I'm not hurt" Milt said, almost proud "I'm a big boy!"
"Yes you are Milt" their dad said "but Matt was very bad to make you do those bad things."
"He didn't make me. It was a game."
"A... game?"
"Mattie and me play lots of games. He is my little brother."
"Matt must never play that game with you again" and he looked at Matt "Never!"
"I... like the game" Milt was all innocent.
"It's a bad game" his dad sputtered "you cannot play the game again. It's very very bad. Matt hurt you. His friend hurt you."
"His name is...Brian! Brian is my friend."
"Brian did a very bad thing, he hurt you."
"Brian did NOT hurt me Daddy."
"Milt are your sure nothing... hurts now?" his dad was afraid to ask too specific a question.
"No my bottom doesn't hurt. Maybe sore a little" Milt finally said rubbing his butt.
"Milt we have to take you to the doctor to make sure nobody hurt you" his dad said "down there."
"No! No doctors!" and Milt got very scared and started to leave.
"Milt it's okay, he won't hurt you. But you may have been hurt... inside."
"No I don't like the doctors. I won't go!"
"Milt you have to. I'll go with you to make sure he doesn't do anything bad" his dad said trying to calm him down.
"No" Milt said looking back and forth to Matt "Mattie hasta take me. He's my brother. Mattie goes or I don't go!"
They both looked at him. Milt was a good two sixty pounds of immoveable mass, and not something you just bundle off the the doc's like a rag doll. He was no child, even though his fear of doctors was like a child, especially since the accident.
"It's okay dad. Milt trusts me right bro?"
"Un huh" he said nodding "Mattie can take me."
"But Matt must stay home because he did a very bad thing."
"Mattie and me will go, okay?"
Their dad looked at both of them and saw that it may be the only compromise "very well. I'll make the appointment. But I must drive you since Matt won't be using the car ever again."
"Dad!"
"You're officially grounded the rest of the summer. Once school starts we'll have to discuss it. And just forget about anything besides school."
"Dad I got football next year."
"Not any more Matt."
"Dad!"
"You want to argue?"
"No fights, no fights" Milt tried to get between them "Matt's my brother."
"We are not fighting Milt" his dad said "why don't you two get something to eat now."
Milt couldn't wait to leave the room and as Matt tried to leave his dad finished "we're not finished with this by a long shot Matt. And I don't ever want to see that Brian in this house again. Now go help your brother get something to eat."
Matt quickly saw his exit and fled the room. His dad went back to the window and stood there, his hands clenching and unclenching by themselves.