The Exam

August 9 evening

After the power returned, the group took turns cleaning up in the basement bathroom. The shower was working but the hot water ran out before the fourth person got their turn. So Joe and Billy had a quick cold water rinse and before rejoining the rest naked and dripping ice cold water. The towels had run out long before the water did for some odd reason.

Billy ran up the stairs buck naked, finding Big Hank and Moose in the kitchen raiding the frig,

"Come ON you guys - "

"It's yer own fault Herms" Moose was wiping what Billy hoped was mayonnaise from his chin "leaving all this food just lying around."

"Geez Hank I thought you were on my side here" Billy slugged him as best he could.

"Fat chance of that bud" he was too busy fixing himself another cold hamburger.

"You two are hopeless!" Billy stood there feeling oddly naked, or was it the air conditioning trying to make up for the lost half-hour "don't know which of you two lugs is worse."

Moose looked at Hank and smiled "that would be me."

"Okay Moose upstairs now! I gotta talk t'ya" Billy tried to look serious but between these two bulls he was little more than a skinny naked kid trying to bully a couple of mack trucks. He headed for the stairs "Moose!"

"Okay okay" Moose grabbed a soda can from the frig "keep your shirt on!" he looked at Hank and laughed.

He found Billy in the bathroom wrapped in a towel, drying his hair.

"So what's yer beef?"

"This..." Billy led him to his bedroom, and got down on the floor reaching under the bed.

Moose looked around the room, then to the tv and back to Billy,

"Feels weird as shit in here kinda."

"Kinda?" Billy got to his knees, producing three videotapes.

"Yeah y'know since last - what the fuck's that?" Moose suddenly blanched, thinking it might be from that afternoon with the whole group "those aren't the other day-"

"Moose now it's your turn" Billy gave him the tapes "you gotta guard these like with your LIFE dude. Whatever happens don't let my dad know about this, okay?"

"Those what I think they are? From that afternoon?"

"No, THIS afternoon, down there" Billy pointed at the backyard.

"But..." Moose stood there in his towel, almost letting it slip off his round belly "Herms the camera was never on -- !"

"Wrong Moose!"

"Fuck!! But your dad!"

"Would have a fit if he knew about these" Billy found a plastic bag from one of the record stores downtown and handed it to Moose, "hide'm in this."

"But - "

"So you gotta smuggle'm outa here somehow" Billy looked at Moose's towel half-way down to his pubes "so get yer ass dressed okay?"

"But - "

"And same goes for Hank okay? He might freak if he found out - "

"But - "

"C'mon Moose" Billy lowered his voice hearing the commotion increase in the kitchen "it's the only insurance policy we got against Merklins - "

"Where'd they come from?"

"I told ya, the camera! Okay?"

"But..." Moose went to the window, seeing the soaked backyard, leaves and small tree limbs everywhere. The pool looked like the salad bar from a certain restaurant Moose did not want to think about right now -- yeah the salad bar after a minor earthquake "Herms you senile? We almost got electrocuted back there when the storm..."

"Yeah, that was freaky timing no shit."

"So what'd ya -- I mean how..."

"You and Hank were so busy getting Joel in here outa the rain, yeah major freak scene. Shit I thought we were all gonna get it then. But then I saw how distracted everyone was, then the lights went out" he started to whisper hearing voices on the stairs "no one saw when I ran out there in the rain and saved the camera - "

"But they" Billy shushed him, Moose started again in a whisper "but they musta been soaked by then, shorted out, ruined right?"

"I hope not" Billy whispered back "but the camera was still running. Let's hope the last tape, the wet one's good" and turned just as his dad and Hank appeared at the top of the stairs.

"What're you two whispering about up here?" Joe said, both wearing the uniform of the house, "towel de jour".

"Our laundry bill dad" Billy looked at Moose like: hide the bag dude!

"Funny" his dad said, but disappeared into his bedroom. Billy almost expected Ern to be there in tow; instead it was someone pissing in the bathroom, the door wide open as always. Shit, so glad my mom's not around, Billy thought, she'd be totally hysterical with all these males taking over her house.

"So get that shit outa here before someone - "

"But my clothes. They're still wet!"

"So wear'm wet dude!" Billy was pushing him out of the bedroom, the cart pushing the mule, past the open bathroom door. There stood Hank, naked and pissing.

Moose stood frozen in his tracks, busted and shocked.

"You've seen it before" Billy joked, pushing Moose past, intercepting Hank fast.

"What're you two up to?" Hank shook himself, flushing.

"Nothin. Just returning some video games - y'know stuff - Moose's stuff" Billy knew he was blushing bad, and saw Hank knew he was bullshitting him.

"You sure?" Hank pulled him into the bathroom "what're ya hiding Billy?"

"Nothin!"

"Billy it's me remember?" Hank put both hands on Billy's shoulders. Billy knew he was trapped. Big time.

"Okay fine" Billy felt Hank's warm, no burning hot hands, on his cool shoulders "we hadda talk... y'know about..."

"What?"

"Shit..." Billy felt his towel reacting to the closeness of Hank's warmth, the scent of his unwashed body "okay we hadda talk. About you!"

"What about me?"

"Shit" Billy did everything he could to look upset. If he could summon crocodile tears now he'd be home free "y'know about you... and... Moose."

"What about - Billy are you worried - "

"Fuck yeah" Billy did all he could but the tears were not cooperating "I know you and Moose are gonna - y'know you two - and I'm like yesterday's news."

"You fuckhead!" Hank did not know if he should be pissed or relieved "you think I'm gonna take off with Moose and leave you in the dust?"

"Fuck yeah!"

"Why?"

"Cause you and he - y'know Moose thinks like you are a stud god or shit - and the two of you both big jock studs and me I'm like this skinny kid - "

"It ain't like that" Hank pushed the door closed with one foot. Holding it closed was not as easy. Hank saw the scared? pissed? jealous? look on Billy's face so he leaned forward and kissed him. Hard. Billy's breathing went from bad to impossible, "so stop worrying okay?" he broke free.

"I don't know..." Billy was playing it for all he could "I wouldn't blame ya."

"Enough Billy!" Hank grabbed both ears "if what we did before got you upset, I promise we'll never do it again" and kissed him again. Billy's crotch betrayed his play-acting bigtime. When they heard footsteps in the hall they broke apart.

"Someone in there?" Billy's dad called.

"Yeah!" both said at once, looked at each other, and started to giggle, now both blushing. They opened the door, or rather, let the door open and tried to slip out, covering their fronts with the same towel.

"Should've known..." Joe said, but his smile was crooked and there was a strange expression on his face.

The two did not stick around but slipped into Billy's bedroom and closed the door.

"So we clear on this?" Hank looked around and found a discarded towel on the floor and started to dry his hair.

"Don't use that one!" Billy tried to pull it from him.

"Why not?"

"Because..."

"Is it your cum towel?" but Hank finished drying himself with it "cool!"

"No!" Billy looked at the floor, expecting to see what incriminating item fell out of it "it's just - "

"Man why the hell you so spooked all of a sudden" Hank looked around "you got something I can wear?"

"Funny!" Billy slipped on some boxers and found a pair of wadded up jeans "like I got anything that'll fit ya."

"Maybe I should keep some clothes here" Hank stopped Billy's jumpy movements "y'know. For... whenever."

"That'd be cool" Billy slipped away, and pulled a tshirt over his head "if..."

"If what?"

"If y'know... we're still gonna hang."

"You saying you're thinking about not hanging with me any more?

"Well maybe if you..."

"If I what? What Billy?"

"Y'know I don't know what'll happen..."

"Is this still about Moose?"

"No. I mean... well kinda - "

"Okay now listen" again Hank stopped Billy's nervous richochetting about the room "it's like this. You and me... well we're a team okay - "

"But - "

"Shuttup! I mean it! Now listen. The two of us are a team. And I want it to stay that way. That is unless you don't want that - "

"I want - "

"I ain't finished. Now if you want out you just say the word okay? But until then you're stuck with me. Just me okay? Not me and Moose, or me and - well anybody else okay? Sorry if I'd a known you'd freak about this it never woulda gone down okay? So nothin's bustin up you and me okay? Nothin! Unless that's what you want. Is that what you want?"

"Fuck no!" Billy felt the hands around his arms. Shit, he realized maybe he overdid it a bit. But he was still freaked about almost getting caught with Moose and the tapes. It dawned on him Hank must have thought he and Moose were having a fight just then, over Hank! He leaned into Hank and grabbed him hard.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure... I guess."

"Whatdyamean, you guess?"

"Well with all this other shit goin on... like with Merklins - "

"We gotta talk" and suddenly Hank's expression changed from the worried lover to all business. He went over and locked the door.

"What about?"

Hank looked around "I'm naked here remember?"

"Yeah" Billy could not help but smile "in my bedroom too. How cool is that!"

"C'mon Billy ain't ya got anything - "

"Okay okay" Billy went to his closet and started digging things off the shelf "these'll fit ya" and before Hank could ask he added "they're Moose's okay? Don't ask."

"Fine" he grabbed them as Billy tossed them underhand. There was a pair of shorts even a bit big for Hank, as well as a sleeveless sweatshirt that made Hank look even sexier. Billy could not help but whistle as Hank started,

"Okay now about tonight. Is this another night you gotta go back to the doc's?"

"Docs!?!??" caught Billy right in the gut "fuck no!"

"Well can you?" Hank continued to dress, his eyes tight and fixed on Billy's face.

"Can I what?"

"The docs'! Can you go to the docs'?"

"Why?"

"I need you t'do somethin."

"Like what?"

"I"ll explain at my place when I give you the equipment."

"What equipment?" Billy left the second shoe off. He did not want to finish dressing all of a sudden.

"Equipment I need you to get inside the doc's office."

"But..." Billy felt the sweat forming on his recently dried forehead "why me? Why can't somebody else do it? I thought that's why we got Merklins - Joel, he was supposed to - "

"I'm not totally convinced I can trust him" Hank was dressed except for his feet. He was ready to go "and I know I can trust you. Right?"

"But..." Billy had to negotiate himself out of this "but you don't want me going back to the doc's, do you? You know what..."

"You mean if you go in tonight you're goin to have to..." do the sex stuff?

Hank did not want to finish the sentence.

"Maybe. I don't know. I don't know who's gonna be there. I don't know if Joel's still going in. If he doesn't show they'll call me. Maybe."

"Let's go" Hank unlocked the door checking the clock. It was already four-fifteen "we'll talk in the way."

Billy had a quick talk with his dad on the way out. He did not mention the docs' might be in the agenda. They went downstairs finding Bo and Ern sitting at the kitchen table, chatting like long-time friends. Both were still in the house uniform. Billy gestured, why aren't you two dressed? They both pointed downstairs, the sound of the dryer humming away. Billy nodded and headed downstairs, checking the overworked appliance. It was packed solid with soggy clothes, nothing even remotely useable. Someone apparently had gathered everything from the backyard - his dad? - and loaded the dryer. Had Billy not been worrying about a thousand other things, he would have suspected his dad noticed the camcorder - the wet and empty camcorder - was no longer outside.

Instead Billy jogged up the stairs, asking if Joel had left. The told him he tore out of there as soon as he could, wet clothes or not.

On the way to Hank's apartment, Billy told him about the missing Joel. So the first thing Hank had Billy do once they were inside was call Joel's house, but there was no answer. Next call was to the docs'.

The receptionist sounded like the epitome of curt familiarity. Everything was fine, she was going to be leaving soon. Yes she expected Joel momentarily. Yes she would not mind seeing Billy before she left. She was leaving in the morning for a week's vacation but she would wait a few minutes if he were late. She wanted to talk to him about something. No nothing important.

Billy walked the two blocks from Hank's well-hidden car to the docs' office. He agreed it would not be a good idea at this stage of the crisis to be spotted anywhere near the place. Who knows who might be watching. And with his pockets now full of various devices, he felt like Bulls Eye Boy, what with everyone keeping surveilence on everyone else. He walked through the door, expecting the electronics in his jeans to set off a thousand alarms but when he saw the receptionist looking like the familiar prune she was, he almost kicked himself. Snap out of it, he told himself, this is not some fuckin spy movie. It's a fuckin doctor's office for crissakes! Even if all sorts of pervy things go on here. He almost wanted to ask her how much she was in on any of this, but realized she'd look at him like he was out of his fucking mind! And right now he felt like he was out of his mind.

"Billy how nice!" she stopped her bustling and gave him a cool hug "how have you been?"

"Fine, just fine" he lied.

She sniffed his hair and gave him a quizzical expression "peroxide? You're much too young to be bleaching your hair."

"No way!" Billy laughed and blushed "I'm already blond. Oh it's probably just the chlorine you smell."

"Chlorine?" she came off totally stumped.

"You know chlorine? from the pool?"

"You came from the Y?" a strange expression crossed her face.

"No we got a pool - I got a pool - in the backyard, remember? I told you - "

"Oh I'm sorry so you did" she looked at the reception desk "since you've not been coming in I've been so busy - "

"Sorry - "

"And I'm so far behind with paperwork - "

"Want me to - "

"Oh could you?" she almost smiled at how easy it was to have him fall into her little trap "you know where the Medicare forms go and these two piles both need to be filed - "

"So you goin on vacation right?"

"Yes two weeks" she looked at him "so I won't be here - "

"But what about the docs?"

"They won't be here either of course. Don't you - "

She was interrupted by the door opening. There was Joel, out of breath and beet red. As soon as he saw Billy he almost swallowed his tongue. He started to say something but she continued,

"Oh good you're both here now. Joel, I was just telling Billy what needs to be straightened up and filed before we close the office for vacation" she checked her watch "but I'm sorry I really must go, my ride is getting impatient. I hope" and she gave Billy a formal squeeze to his hand, and then to both their surprise, gave Joel one as well. Before either had a chance to get up to speed she was gone.

They both stood there, looking at each other, not saying anything. They heard her footsteps all the way down the stairs, to the downstairs door and out. They even heard the sound of a car starting up and driving away before anyone said anything. Finally Joel broke the silence,

"Shit Herms what the fuck you doin here?"

"C'mon... Joel" Billy went behind the desk and started grabbing papers, in part to hide the bulges in various pockets of his pants.

"No really. Why are you here?"

"Like I really thought you'd show up tonight" Billy avoided eye contact "after... y'know... this afternoon..."

"Yeah" Joel lowered his voice. Here it comes, Billy thought.

"And..."

"Yeah" Joel looked around, like he was afraid of being overheard "was that fuckin hot or what!"

Billy's hands froze. Something fell onto the floor with a metallic clunk!

"WHAT?!?!?!" Billy raised his head, expecting to see a crazed, pissed or worse expression on his face. Instead, Joel was almost beaming, "what did you say?"

"That had to be the hottest fuckin day of my fuckin life!!" Joel plunked down onto the sofa "I still can't believe - "

"Joel are you fuckin shitting me!?!" Billy reached down to retrieve what had fallen, glad it was not one of his little "surprises" he was smuggling "I came here cause I thought you'd beh half way to Canada or some shit. Either way you'd be callin me every name in the book."

"Shit Herms" Joel ran his hand through his straw hair, smelling the chlorine and god-knows-what-else "okay maybe a little... but anything I'm pissed at you -- shit how long you been having sex orgies in your backyard and not tellin me about it?"

"Never!" Billy looked up "I mean - "

"Bull! You mean you ain't been having orgies back there every day since school ended? And shit with your DAD there and EVERYTHING!"

"Joel are you fuckin nuts? I thought you were totally freaked out. And then when you saw Hank - "

"Don't remind me" Joel shifted his weight, his butt looking very uncomfortable "so how long he been fuckin you?"

"It ain't like that okay?" Billy tried to focus on the papers but he knew he was just rearranging the piles. And he could tell Joel saw how little he was doing. How the hell was he gonna pull this off now?

"Look Herms..." Joel stood up. And damn but Billy had to see the thickness pushing at the front of his bright-colored tropical shorts. What is with this guy, he thought. That's when he got the thought, maybe there is something like actually wrong with him. Upstairs. Beyond the fact that all he could think about was sex. Was Joel a bit mental?

"Herms we gotta talk" Joel came around to the side of the desk, close enough that Billy could smell him or was he smelling his own fear "I know that you and Soulman are... y'know buds - "

"No - "

"Shuttup okay?" Joel was all business now "so now it's all about you keeping him from calling down the cops on me, on us, on this whole setup" he waved at the back office "until - "

"Until what?"

"Look I promised okay? I told you" he lowered his voice looking at the air vents in the ceiling tiles "I told all of you I would get to the bottom of this didn't I? No shuttup I mean it. Even before you crappers had this gun at my head, I been... snooping" his voice little more than a whisper "I mean, I been looking around trying to figure out what the story is here okay? No don't say anything let me finish. I got a good idea why everything's being taped in this place. Yeah, there's some funky 'research' going on, but it's more than that. All the tapes are going to some place down in Chicago, no I don't know where, it's some P O box and yeah I know what it is, P O Box 66**14 Chicago 60601, and no I don't know what that is okay? I woulda told your friend Soulman today but..."

"But what?"

"Shit Herms you are a naive s.o.b, ain't ya?"

"Hey!" but Billy did not move.

"You can't figure it out, have your Soulman explain it to ya. Don't you remember? There's no way I coulda gotten him t'fuck me and shit did I really blow yer dad again - "

"Yeah y'blew him - again?!?!"

"Fuck that was the fuckin hottest thing I ever coulda imagined. But - "

"Goddamn Joel" Billy slammed his palms down on the table, papers flying everywhere "you tellin me you WANTED all that torture shit t'happen? Like you enjoyed - "

"Maybe y'ain't as dumb as I thought" Joel slapped Billy's forehead, not as hard as Billy flinched though.

"So you wanted them to - "

"Hell not like that, not right away" Joel lowered his voice again "when I got there and saw Hank again, yeah I freaked. I thought I was dead meat for sure. And being tied up like that..." he looked down at his crotch "well it's not exactly the way I had it going down but... hell... maybe some dudes like to be roughed up. A LITTLE! Okay?"

"So being blindfolded...?"

"Major fuckin bone time!" Joel laughed "that's when I started really getting like, y'know into the whole freaky scene. And with your fuckin old man right there!"

"Damn Joel. So whatdya mean 'again'?"

"And then when the Harrisons showed up! At first I just knew that Bo dude was gonna just wipe the floor with me, after all that shit I was talkin - "

"So you two never - "

"Whatdyou think!" Joel returned to a whisper "c'mon Herms, you never fantasized about taking on like a whole busload of guys?" he was rubbing himself now "think about it!"

"Shit no... I mean..." Billy looked down at himself, glad his jeans were too busy hiding worse things "shit I don't know."

"Well Billy all I can say is I owe ya" and he slapped him on the back. Billy almost choked out the burger from a half-hour ago.

"You shittin me right?"

"Fuck no!" Joel's expression changed in a split second "so who's here?"

It took a few seconds for Billy to process all of this. And it occurred to Billy Joel really was way too erratic, way too manic for him to keep up with. In a way Joel's moods were bouncing all over the room. First he was angry and scared and out of control. Then he was almost bullying them into abusing him. No he was bullying them to BULLY HIM! And now he was acting like it was no biggie. In fact he was acting like some happy kid just finding out he made the team. Did something really wrong happen today, to Joel? Did he come unglued or something? Maybe this blood pressure-dehydration thing was making him lose his damn marbles. Or maybe that ordeal back at his place made him finally go psycho. Billy looked at Joel like someone to stay clear of.

"Look Joel, I'm sorry about how it happened. Really I didn't - "

"Geez Billy" Joel went to the inner door "get over it - "

"Maybe you should have something to drink - "

"What? You my mother now?"

"No really Joel. You ain't acting normal - "

"Normal?!?! NORMAL?!?!?" Joel spun around "who the fuck are you to be lecturing me about normal? You call what happened at your little orgy palace normal?"

"Sorry Joel I mean - "

"Don't be callin me not normal - "

"I didn't mean that!" Billy saw the ferocity in his face "sorry I just meant, you been acting all stressed out since you walked in here."

"Stressed out?" Joel threw his head back and laughed "funny! You mean 'stretched' out, right?"

"Damn Joel."

"You try doin what I did today and not be acting ten kinds of crazy" and like that Joel was back to being Joel again "just chill okay Herms?" Joel went to door again listening "just don't ever throw that 'normal' shit at me ever again, we clear on that?"

"Sure Joel. I'm sorry okay?"

"Okay" he lowered his voice and held out his hand "we still in this?"

"Yeah... I guess" Billy hesitated fearing a trap.

"C'mon Herms are we still on the same page or not here?"

"Yeah if you say so" and reached out. The two shook hands.

"Good cause if you were not watching my back any more I'd... hell I don't know what I'd do, I'd just lose it."

"Well I'm still..." Billy lowered his voice "still goin through with it and man Merklins you better be too?"

"Don't worry" Joel whispered "I ain't backing down. I can't afford to with .. well y'know."

"Yeah I know" Billy looked away, down to the messy desk.

"So the doc's here or what?"

"Fuck if I know" Billy found the appointment book and cracked it open. He flipped a few pages"oh fuuuuccck..."

"What?" Joel was at the desk in one quick leap "what 'fuck'."

"Nothin" Billy tried to close the book, but Joel yanked it away from him and saw what was written under August Nine.

"Fuck..." Joel echoed "and double-fuck. Those BASTARDS!" He looked at Billy, panic draining his face, "what the fuck'm I gonna do?"

"You mean 'we' right?"

"Damnit Herms, they weren't supposed to be here til what, tomorrow? You were gonna cover for me while I - shit you know! Damn I can't stay here these're MY TEAMMATES now okay?"

"Like Moose and Ern and Hank and Doug - "

"Doug?" Joel was back in predator-mode "Doug who?"

"Later. Look Joel, y'know I was gonna cover for ya. But now, we're all in the same - "

"It ain't the same. These are MY teammates okay? These are football players! And they ain't for damn sure putting up with any of this sex shit!"

"Who said anything?"

"Are you blind or something?" Joel was back to panic mode. Billy was having major difficulties keeping up with his ever-changing moods. Man, the guy really did get sunstroke or something this afternoon. And it's all my fault.

"Joel y'gotta chill now, okay? Nothing's gonna happen, okay?" Billy babbled, very concerned but afraid to let on. He recognized the two names on the list immediately: Sommers, J. and Eibens, J. John and Jack, both seniors this year. Both footballs players. Both guys Billy made a point of stearing clear of. He did not have either of them in any classes being in different school years, but he saw them around. Sommers was going with Julie something or other, who was friends with Hank's ("little" Hank, he heard the new nickname) nomimal girlfriend, Amy. He made a mental note to ask Hank if they ever double-dated or what. But Sommers, all one-ninety? more? of him, was someone not to be fucked with. He was not a big trouble-maker or anything, just one of those quiet menaces, Billy thought. Hell, he never even considered him attractive. He was way too lumpy looking for that, with a unbalanced bowl of mashed potatoes for a face, a big nose flattened like he slept on it wrong. Big shoulders, bigger arms, even bigger gut. Perfect football material. Big and lumpy. The out-of-control dumptruck. Eibens, however, was another story. He was dark-haired, a running back, so everything about him was as perfect as his perfect life. Perfect house, perfect girlfriend, perfect parents, perfect college plans, perfect future. Billy would have resented him had he known him better. But perfect people did not travel in the same circle as Billy and his group. Now seeing his name on the list gave him goosebumps. His dick shrived just thinking about it.

Joel walked over to the sofa grabbing his backpack,

"I gotta think."

"Wait. You can't leave - "

"Fuck I gotta do something" Joel had his bag over his shoulder and his hand on the door "you think I'm gonna be just standing here when those two show up?"

"C'mon Joel remember you promised!"

"Yeah I know, but that was... and now..." now Joel's expression shifted to despair "please Billy, please. You know I can't stay here now? I can't - or maybe I'll sneak back after..."

"But we don't even know if..."

"Herms we do. We sure as hell do! Now it's the football team coming in here. MY football team okay? Who's next, the coaches?"

"They been here" Billy let slip, then saw the futility at this point "but you know that Joel! C'mon I told ya - "

"Think I'd remember that" he stood there, half in, half out "Billy I'm beggin ya, I'll make it up to ya okay? But these are my buds okay? I gotta keep up some kinda..."

"Okay" Billy heard the word from far away "I guess..."

"I owe ya!" Joel was turning to leave "you ain't got no idea. I mean after today, like that was nothing! You name it Herms! I mean it! Anything! Even if that Soulman wants another crack at plugging my - " but no sooner were the words out of his mouth, than they both heard the sound, the dreaded clack-clack-clack of footsteps coming up the stairs. Fuck! Joel thought. They're here! And if they heard! He closed the door fast, but it was too late. They heard the steps approach the door. Joel was heading for the inner door, hoping to sneak out the back when the door opened. It was Kroos!

"I thought I heard voices" the first thing out of his mouth. Not good evening, not hello, not hi Billy, but "I did not know who was here."

"Who else?" Billy shot a look at Joel, the panic contagious.

"Well Billy... Joel..." Kroos went to the coatrack and removed his jacket "you two might want to keep the door closed in the future if you are discussing..." he looked at Joel, who was trying to crawl under the carpet "delicate matters."

"We weren't - I mean - what did - "

"Something about 'plugging'" Kroos looked at Billy "and I don't suspect you were discussing plumbing" then he smiled.

"No really Kroos - "

"But enough of that" Kroos went over and shook Billy's hand then Joel's "good to see you both again" giving Joel a close examination.

"You too" Joel gulped "but I was just leaving - "

"Leaving?" Kroos looked at them back and forth "what leaving?"

"Something came up is all" Joel was trying to circle around Kroos to the front door "Billy here - "

"Yeah Joel hasta leave. It's okay I'll cover tonight" Billy bit his lip, why was he letting himself get into this trap again "is all."

"Nonsense" Kroos said, going over to the desk and picking up the schedule book "we have two patients tonight" looking hard at Joel when he said that "and we will be busy and I am sure the receptionist told you she will be on vacation" giving Billy a look in turn "did she not?"

"Yeah but..."

"So thank you for coming in Billy, it will help with all the paper backlog.

But..." he looked back to Joel "I will definitely need you, BOTH of you now, to assist - "

"Come ON doc!" Joel wanted out like nothing else "you told me they were comin in tomorrow and now you know I can't stay. You know damn well I know these guys!"

"As I suppose does Billy - "

"But these are football players! They're my teammates! My buds!!"

"So all the more reason for you to assist tonight. You can make them feel more at ease."

"At ease? Fuck that!" Joel met Kroos' gaze for the first time "you know damn well what you're gonna do to them. Both of them! All the sex shit, get them all horned up and - "

The door opened! It was Jack Eibens, looking tanned and trim and... perfect.

"Merklins!" he stopped dead in his tracks "what are you doing here?"

"Jack" Joel coughed out, once his heart came free of his throat "what are YOU doing here?"

"I gotta have my damn checkup before - you too?"

"No Mister Merklins -- " Kroos cut in.

"Yeah!" Joel shot a look at Kroos, then at Billy for good measure "me too. That's why I'm here. Ain't that right Billy?" the look in his face was a frightening combination of despair and threat.

"Well... er..." Billy looked at Kroos, seeing the evening, all their planning, flying into a thousand pieces.

"You know Billy? Billy Herms?" Joel cut back in "his dad has the sporting goods store? Junior?"

"Yeah... hi Billy" Jack was the smiling handsome classmate, all friendly and composed. Billy was almost going to stand and shake hands when Joel cut in,

"Yeah can you believe he works here? Yeah Billy's been tellin me like he... his dad got'm this job t'help with college n'all" looking at Kroos, daring him to say something.

"You like it?" Jack looked around the room, trying to figure out if there was anything here he should be registering.

"Yeah I guess" Billy looked down at the papers, hoping to give the impression he knew what he was doing. That was when he opened the schedule book again, this time to the next week. He saw the writing but could not register what he was seeing. He could feel three sets of eyes boring into him. No, he could not be seeing it right.

"Cool" Jack let it slide "so Merklins I'm scheduled for six. When are you?"

"I... ah..." Joel slipped up, the floor under his feet shifting and sliding. Before he could recover Kroos pinned him,

"How strange" Kroos looked at Billy, suspicious of the new shift he was seeing "Billy when do we have Mister Merklins down for?"

"Oh fuck..." Billy said a bit too loud, knowing they all heard it. He started flipping pages fast, stalling. Then the door opened again. The Incredible Bulk had arrived.

"Johno!"

"Jack!"

"Merkins!"

"What're you doin here?" all at once. Jack and John went from glad to seeing each other, to apprehension fast.

"So what's all this? Merklins what're you doin here?"

"Same as you Sommers" he looked at John, a bit surprised. He looked like he had lost about fifty pounds, all the pudgy flab seemed have been rearranged since June. If it was not for the same doughy face he would have had some difficulty recognizing him. He was still lumpy as hell, but the inner tube hanging over the belt was mostly gone. And his black hair was frosted a weird off-blond. And man was he red!

"Where you been hidin?"

"Nowhere" Joel looked at Billy "workin mostly."

"You still with Jones?"

"Yeah kinda."

"What's 'kinda'?"

"Joel passed out at work last week" Billy cut in "so he's been coming in for check-ups since then" looking at Kroos, hoping to juggle what was going down here.

"I know you" John came over to Billy "right?"

"Billy, Billy Herms" he almost held out his hand but thought better fast "from school."

"Yeah, Herms that's right" he looked at the desk "so why the hell you sitting there for?"

"He works here" Kroos cut in, a short look at Joel "Doctor Kroos" holding out his hand.

"Karoozz?" John shook hands, his eyes giving him a quick once-over. When he felt the strength in the grip he let out a low whistle, "you ain't the regular doc."

"That is right. I am his assistant. He should be joining us momentarily" Kroos looked at both of them, then at Joel "Mister Merklins, seeing as how you have been here before" he underlined the word "why not show Mister Sommers and Mister Aikens -- "

"Eibens doc. But we ain't all at the same time -- "

"Sorry, Mister Eibens here, where they can put away their belongings."

"Doc, maybe Billy - " Joel saw the floor giving way, and was determined he would not get trapped this time.

"Yeah doc I'll - " Billy was out of the chair in a flash.

"Doc my appointment's for six - " Jack cut in.

"Hell so's mine!" from John.

"We can't both - "

"Wait doc - "

"But I gotta - "

"Doc I'll - " Billy tried to shout over the cacaphony.

"Now that will not be necessary. Joel knows the lay-out, and besides you have your work" underlining those two words as well "to do."

"But doc..."

"Joel, Billy and I have to go over the paperwork first. I will join you in a moment" opening the door.

"Which you?" from both Jack and John.

"All... three of you" Kroos gave Joel the faintest glint. Joel knew he was one dead pile of meat now.

"Yeah right" from John "he kidding?" looking at Joel.

"C'mon let's get this over with" Joel gave Kroos a look that could kill. Before Kroos could respond he was through the door. Jack was a step or two behind him. They headed for the main exam room, hearing John several steps behind,

"Hey wait up!"

Joel and Jack turned to wait for him. His expression overshot confusion by seven feet, landing in outraged panic.

"What the hell is this ALL ABOUT?!?!?"

Joel looked at them, then down the hall to the other room, the observatory room. Do you want to know what this is all about? he thought. I'll show you, I'll show you something that'll make ya totally freak! Something that'll make ya run the forty-yard dash in record time and you won't stop til y'get to the Rockies! What the hell was he gonna tell them?

"Why did you guys make appointments?" Joel answered with a question. He had to stall them, at least until Kroos could show up. No, bad idea. Maybe he could park them in the exam room and ditch out the back! Very very do-able. Yeah, and then Billy goes back to Soulman and his cop associates and tells them he's turned tail. And not only went AWOL but turned public enemy number one! And if the docs' "associates" got wind of that! Cold sweat started trickling down his back. He thought this afternoon was hell! Or more likely, all the fun he got to wallow around in was just a set-up; now it was time to pay up. Joel saw the floor give way, tumbling down and down, his head aching, any hangover before like a love tap in comparison.

"We didn't make the appointments Merko" from John "the rents did."

"Why?"

"Coach called'm."

"You too?" from Jack "I thought all this was gonna go down next week."

"Next week?" Joel looked at them. Was he missing something here?

"C'mon Merko. Next week" banging his forehead with his knuckles "you awake in there? Remember, training camp?"

"Oh yeah..." Joel had been putting it out of his mind for a long while. And with all that was going on now he had hoped to skip it. As in flying to Brazil skip it!

"Don't tell me you ain't goin!" Jack looked at him like he had a screw loose "don't tell me y'ain't playin next year!"

"I... ah... just forgot... I been busy..." damn now what.

"So what're we doin here?" John looked at Jack, suddenly suspicious "all three of us..."

"Beats me" Joel went to the exam room and opened the door. Like idiots, the two went in.

"Holy shit!" Jack looked around, seeing the size and furnishings of the room "man you could fit the whole team in here!" Joel almost choked right then and there.

"What kinda set up is this?" John looked around, a bit impressed. Joel was not sure if he heard "set up" or "set-up". Either way, these were not the reactions he was expecting.

"Man this is cool!" Jack was all over the room, examining the counters, even opening drawers. He stopped short when he came to a rolling table on which was a large piece of equipment, all dials and displays "what's this for?"

"Don't touch that!" Joel spun around, seeing what Jack was fingering.

"Why, what is it?"

"Just leave it alone!"

"You know what it is?"

"NO!" Joel knew damn well what it was.

"Like hell!" now Jack was next to him, trying to figure out what it was for "c'mon Merko, spill it!"

"I don't know" but he was beet-red and the sweat pouring off him spelled the words: sure do!

"Yeah y'do Merko. So what's it for?"

"Really you guys. Y'gotta leave it alone - "

"Why?" Jack was looking at the switches until he found what he was looking for "here we are" and turned it on. The dials and displays lit up like he set off every alarm in town. They almost expected to hear sirens coming down the street.

"Knock it off!" and Joel flipped it off, giving a quick look at the one-way mirror "you don't wanna mess with it!"

"Then tell us what it's for?" Jack looked at John "cause you know what it is. You look guiltier than when you pulled that mascot stunt!"

"Maybe, but... trust me you don't wanna know."

"There were displays and numbers lighting up before" Jack looked at the board. Even without power, he was getting an impression of what it might be "it's some kind of monitoring device, right? Shit there has to be at least twenty displays there. That's a lot more than just fuckin blood pressure right?"

"Yeah you're right" Joel went to the cabinet and grabbed himself a towel "it measures... stuff."

"What kinda... stuff?" John looked around the room, seeing the one-way mirror. He knew what it was, but no way he would say anything.

"Oh y'know regular stuff. Like when you get a physical, y'know usual stuff."

"They put it on you?" Jack gave John a quick sideways look "didn't they?"

"Yeah..." Joel had to change the subject "once or twice. So we gotta get ready" he looked around the room.

"Ready for what?" John looked at the room again, then back to that machine "for that?"

"Dunno" Joel saw the one exam table set up and ready. Damn, three guys and one table? He shuddered, thinking where that was going to land. Before he could decide what to do, Kroos came in. With the other doc.

"Gentlemen" doc Reynolds went from one to the next shaking hands "sorry about the scheduling situation. We've been very busy getting all of you gentlemen ready for next week - "

"Yeah what gives doc?" John felt a wave of relief once he saw his regular doc, not this hulking gorilla from some stinking foreign country or another.

"How come we need t'do this before next week?" Jack added "why don't we do this then?"

"State law gentlemen" the doc said, looking at Kroos "we have been processing as many checkups before camp starts as possible. That is why we needed you both to come in tonight. Almost the entire team has been checked already - "

"Like who?" John looked at Joel "besides Merklins here?"

"Almost the entire team."

"Who's left?" John looked at Jack. The whole team?

"Never mind" the doc looked at the room, then at Joel "nothing is set up?"

"Sorry doc - I mean - " Joel looked at Kroos, realizing the doc was not aware of his deception. Again he felt trapped. For some reason Kroos came to his rescue,

"Joel you have been here before. You might recollect how - "

"I'll help you" the doc said, checking his watch. The two of them pulled the other table away from the wall and started to get it ready. Joel "mysteriously" remembered where the linen was, as well as the exam trays, etc. Once or twice he thought he heard one of the guys behind him start to make a low snide comment, but before he could turn and face them, Kroos got them busy removing their clothes. By the time both tables were ready and he turned to face them, Jack and John both were down to their underwear. More from nervousness than anything else, Joel grabbed their clothes, shoes and socks as well, and put them away in the cabinet.

"Y'sure you don't work here too?" John grunted.

Before Joel decided to respond, the doc said,

"Joel, you're with me. Doc Kroos will attend to Mister Sommers and Mister..."

"Eibens" Kroos looked at Jack. Jack could not keep his eyes off the strange device.

Without even acknowledging them Joel fled from the room. The doc finally caught up with him in the hallway.

"Joel" he said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry doc" Joel stared at the pattern on the floor "I just couldn't."

"Couldn't what?"

"Y'know... with my teammates."

"Joel we talked about this remember?" the doc steered him to the observation room "now you know Joel..." he ushered him into the room. Joel was a bit surprised the doc did not start flicking switches on the console, "now you know we would never physically force you to..."

"What do you mean?" Joel looked at the window, still dim and unlit. He could only make out a hint of moving shadows.

"We would never force you to do anything... against your... 'principles'. Nothing this is..." his eyes were slits "illegal."

There it was. The docs knew he knew. Or did they? He could not make out the doc's expresssion in the half-lit room.

"You ain't forcing... me... to - y'know - I mean... well..." as suddenly as he was out of the meatgrinder, wham! he was back in it.

"Joel" the doc put his hand on Joel's shoulder "you must know both Doctor Kroos and I are very much depending on you at this stage. On your continuing... loyalty" the hand pressed harder "do you understand?"

"Yeah sure."

"I don't think you do" the hand stayed there "no I don't. You do not know the implications of our research here, the far-reaching modalities of treatments which can result from this unique work we are doing. I'll be blunt Joel. I will discuss this with you as an adult. You have seen the majority of our recent work here, or rather the work done here in the evenings with our male patients, in of a very sexual nature. What we are doing is considered very cutting edge, even unconventional - "

"No shit - "

"Yes Joel, no kidding. And we have been very fortunate to have found subjects from the entire spectrum of the male population, from a broad range of sexual responses, if you understand my meaning. Yes, we have found subjects - I mean patients - who were very responsive to specific male erogenous... let's say, stimulation. Like yourself" the hand tightened even more "and like Doctor Kroos. We would not have been able to complete most of these studies had it been up to me. As you know my primary focus is towards my regular patients. And this other area of research, well let us say my orientation has always been towards the female, my wife specifically.

But as you are aware, you and Doctor Kroos are representative of that other end of the spectrum let us say - "

"You mean we're both gay."

"Yes that is correct. And because of that your presence here is so critical. As is Billy's. As are several others."

"Like?"

"Well that's not relevant now. But..." the hand was a vice now "it is important that if you are feeling any... reluctance... any misgivings, you tell me now! Because your absolute loyalty" pressing down with each word" is critical. We can have nothing go wrong. Not now! Do you understand?"

"No!" Joel had to play the card, he saw now everything was spiraling down the drain fast. He had to do it "no doc I do not understand. How the hell can I? I see what you do to these guys. I see what you're gonna do to the guys in there. Hell, you 'subjected' the whole damn wrestling team to your sex experiments and now it looks like you're burning through the football team. And why? No I don't understand!"

"If you calm down I'll explain everything" the hand was off the shoulder. Did he have the doc backing off?

"Good. Explain. For starters explain why you always gotta tape everything?"

"Well you know, for malpractice reasons - "

"Bullshit doc! It ain't about that. If it were for that, all those millions of tapes would still be here right?" and Joel staggered over to the cabinet and opened it. There was one camera and a few boxes of blank tape "nope! no tapes here! So where are they?"

"You know Joel. We send them to - "

"I all know is I been sending some to some P O box in Chicago. What kinda bull is that?"

"Well there is a company - "

"At a P O Box? C'mon doc, you said you wanted to explain and now you're - "

"Very well. They must be sent to a film processing firm - "

"A what?"

"A company that processes them, modifies them - no don't interrupt - I'm explaining. As you know, the tapes we record here, well if they were shown to anyone who would recognize the persons in them - no don't interrupt - so for... 'legal' reasons, the faces of all patients must be modified, distorted, so that no one can be recognized. I am sure I explained this to you already. I told you no one would be able to recognize you, didn't I?" the doc went over to the cabinet and removed the camera and its stand. He looked at Joel, "didn't I?"

"Okay, yeah. Yes, you did" Joel went to help him, in part to do a quick count of the boxes of unused tapes there. He counted fifteen "but okay, these guys at this company are busy blocking out the faces in the tapes. Then what? How come they ain't back here?"

"All but the most recent are" the doc seemed distracted trying to set up the camera in the half-darkness. Finally he muttered and started flipping switches on the console. One of them was the switch for the window, another was for the sound. Now Joel was able to see and hear what was going on in the exam room, as well as having enough light on their side of the wall.

"Most? How recent?" Joel tried to keep his back to the window but kept stealing glances every few moments. So far everything looked normal in there, each guy sitting on the side of their respective tables. Startlingly g-rated, he thought.

"Well Doctor Kroos tells me all tapes from the beginning of the studies through, I believe, the end of July are back."

"July?" Joel tripped on the power cord "by accident" disconnecting the camera thinking that must be like several thousand! "where in the world you got room for all those hundreds...?" he left the question hang there. The doc was too busy trying to get the camera to work he was not completely aware of what Joel was saying.

"Oh they're here. And yes, but it must be close to five hundred. Maybe more."

"Where?" Joel found the plug and reconnected the camera. It popped once or twice and then it was working.

"Oh wonderful! I thought it was broken. Thank you" he looked at Joel "where? Right here. In this building. In the basement. Of course you realize that we could not risk storing them anywhere else. It would be very... difficult if such things - "

"Ended up in the porno business, right doc?"

"Pornography?" the doc stopped and looked at him "you think what we do here is pornography?"

"No of course not" Joel saw the doc sputtering, trying to look indignant, instead looking very very nervous "it's just... well... somebody else... I mean somebody who didn't understand what you were -- what we are doing... they might misunderstand... is all."

"And you...?" the doc looked at him in the brighter light "misunderstand?"

"Doc I want to understand" Joel decided to put it on the line "but you have to help me understand. I want to help you, I mean I want to be on your side I want to stay loyal... but..." Joel made a point of underlining that word "but..."

"But what Joel?"

Joel thought about all of this. Was this the time to make the deal? He knew blackmail was out of the question. He did not want to end up dead. Neither did he want to end up empty-handed.

"But I'm not sure..."

"Not sure about what Joel?"

"I want to cooperate, I want to keep quiet about what I been seeing here" he pointed at the window "what I'm seeing here."

"But...?"

"Doc..." now it was Joel's turn to put his firm hand on the doc's shoulder and press "like you said you want my loyalty... you 'need' my loyalty, right doc?"

"Joel I truly hope you are not thinking about doing anything stupid..."

"You mean like blackmail? Or even stupider, going to the cops?"

"So you agree that would be... stupid...?"

"Like I was saying you want my loyalty right?"

"Like you said" the doc felt the hand on his shoulder, fully aware Joel was trying to turn the tables on him. On them. On the whole thing "we 'need' your loyalty."

"And what would you be... offering" there it was. Joel put the card on the table "for my 'loyalty'."

"Are you asking for more money?" the doc tried to pull back but the hand stayed put "we are already paying you for your time here!"

"No not money" here we go, he thought.

"If not money then what?"

"I want..." okay, make the wish and blow out the candles "I want the-I want Kroos!" and it exploded out of him. Shit, he almost said, I want the tapes. Damn, that would have ruined everything. Just when he was starting to dig himself out of the quicksand. Already he felt himself coming out of the sucking quagmire, the black hole that was pulling him down to total destruction. A cold sweat broke out over his entire body. The blood was pounding through his brain. Glad this dude's a doc, he thought, cause I must stink like pure fear!

"Kroos? You want... Kroos?" the doc went from fear to complete confusion "I don't understand..."

"I want Kroos. From tonight until" he thought quickly. The guys reminded him about Monday, the start of training camp. Now, he saw himself back in play. Training camp was back on the agenda, "until Monday morning."

"I don't understand. He is - we are busy men! He has commitments! Whatever you are suggesting I'm sure he won't agree - "

"He will have to. Hey c'mon doc I ain't askin for his head on a platter or some shit" Joel took a deep breath, knowing he had tipped the scales, finally "all I'm saying is Kroos does what I want, does what I say starting tonight until Monday morning. Let's say the next..." doing the math fast "sixty hours. You are loyal - I mean Kroos is loyal to me, and I stay loyal to you."

"That will have to be..." the doc looked at Joel, seeing a formidable adversary materialize before him, no longer the confused boy, but a desparate man "his decision. I cannot force - "

"Like you 'forced' me. No you 'persuaded' me. And you're gonna 'persuade' Kroos. C'mon doc..." Joel played the teenager again "no biggie okay?"

He went about finishing with the camera, setting it to record the next room. He did not want to see the doc's reaction, so he turned his back and started to shed his clothes, tossing them into the cabinet.

"What are you doing?" the doc had been trying to leave but that stopped him.

"I'm supposed to be here for an exam remember?" Joel pulled down his shorts and underwear, kicking them and his shoes into the cabinet. Standing naked in front of the doc, he went through the drawers until he found the paper gown. He pulled it on, tying it in the back "gotta dress the role right?" and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I gotta set up the camera in there - "

"What - "

"Which you - I mean I - forgot to do earlier."

"But I must - "

"And while I do..." Joel held the door open, waiting for the doc to follow.

He did.

"Wait stop."

"While I do, you need to have a little powwow with Kroos pronto, right?"

"Joel you are crazy, he'll never agree."

"He hasta. C'mon doc, you are a very 'convincing" doctor" Joel stood there, cooling off in the hallway. He felt both ridiculous and reckless, but it was worth the gamble. Hell at this point, he had very little left to lose.

They walked down the hall to the exam room door side by side. The doc reached the door first and grabbed the handle, almost to prevent Joel from opening the door first.

"I'll go in and see if he can step out here a moment - "

"I'm going in there with you" Joel was beside him in a flash. For a second it almost appeared there would be a struggle over the handle.

"Wait here" he placed himself between Joel and the door.

"I'm going in too!"

"No enough" the doc said, now barring the door, no mistake "you know I'm the one that must talk to him about this. Not you."

"That's right" Joel was not going to back down, not now "and while you two are talking out here, I'll be in there keeping our 'patients' distracted so they don't get suspicious. It's not like you can pick up where Kroos'll leave off right?"

"You really expect him to drop everything right now and - "

"Hell no!" Joel saw the flaw now "I mean wait! Just what were you two planning with Jack or John for that matter? You weren't going to...?" Joel did not want to say what was going through his head right then, even if he could put all of the thousand ideas into something coherent.

"That's not your concern Joel is it?"

"It is if you want me to continue playing ball" Joel saw the doc's hand turning white on the knob "like I intend to do. Just like Kroos is going to. Now let's get this over with."

The doc looked at Joel for a long time. While the stalemate continued he could do nothing and too much was in the balance. Finally he turned from Joel, but instead of opening the door he simply knocked. Twice.

After a moment Kroos came to the door and opened it a crack,

"Yes?"

"Something has come up" the doc said without looking at Joel "could you step out here a moment?"

"Just a minute" and Kroos closed the door. After another moment or two he emerged from the room,

"Is there a problem?" he closed the door behind him, looking between the doc and Joel.

"No, no problem" Joel said before the doc started "but the doc here hasta talk with you for a moment. He'll explain everything."

"What is wrong?" Kroos' expression turned serious fast "what is it?"

"Doc I'll leave you two to discuss it" Joel stepped behind Kroos and started to open the door "I'll keep these two busy - "

"Wait!" but before Kroos could say more Joel had the door open enough so anything they would say could be heard inside.

"I'll tell them you will be back in a few seconds" Joel said loud enough for his buds to hear "just don't take too long" and he slipped in before the docs could say a word.

When he looked inside he expected to find Jack and John buck naked and doing god-knows-what. He was almost disappointed to see they were both strapped down on separate tables, still wearing their underwear.

"Hey!" came from a very indignant Jack, facing away from the door.

"Chill, it's only Merko" from John raising his head a bit "cute dress" seeing his exam gown.

"Eat dirt Bombo" Joel came up between them "man look at you two! You look like a coupla tackle dumbies only more..." he went over to Jack and thumped the strap over his chest "ridiculous."

"You're the ridiculous one!" Jack got a view of him then "your ass hanging out! What the fuck you doin in here!"

"Didn't the doc tell ya?" Joel went over to drawer and pulled out a giant forceps "I'm gonna finish yer exams for him!" and waved the device around, his trademark evil grin big enough to blind them.

"You so fulla shit Merko" John saw him, but a nervous expression crossed his face "right...?"

"No serious like" he went over and started testing his straps "so just relax, this won't hurt a bit" and grabbed a bit of the t-shirt with it and started twisting. John yelled like he actually made contact with his flesh.

"Knock it off Merko!" Jack tried to reach up and unfasten his chest strap, but his forearms were restricted enough he could not reach the buckle "gimme a hand here!"

"No serious guys" Joel was having way too much fun "the docs won't be back for a while and I gotta finish you both" and tossed his forceps onto the counter, pulling an exam glove from a box, snapping it over his hand and making sure they both saw him wiggling his fingers "so who's first?"

"Goddammyou!" from Jack "knock it OFF!" but his struggling only made it worse "get me outa here or I'll bust your head!"

"Stop cryin ya big wuss!" Joel cracked a smile "I'm just fuckin with ya" dropping his hand.

"Then get us outa these things" John did his best not to look nervous but Joel could tell he was sweating out his t-shirt. Joel had spooked him but he was trying to hide it. Without success.

"Jeez chill out okay?" Joel looked around, glancing at the window once or twice "the docs'll be back in second and then we can get the fuck outa here okay?"

"Okay" Jack was still struggling "so why can't you get these offa us in the mean time."

"Why ARE you guys tied up like that?" Joel looked at the straps again, seeing the wires running back to a console, but not the large one "you takin lie detector tests or some shit?"

"Fuck no" Jack's right arm was wiggling around, slowly pulling free of the arm strap "doc says it's regular stuff - "

"How come I didn't haveta do it then?" Joel went over to the console and checked the panel. Everything looked normal. He saw displays with labels like Temp and Blood Pressure and Resp and something called Galv. It seemed harmless.

"Whatdaymean you didn't have - "

"I just finished with my tests but I had nothin like this" Joel came up to Jack "you guys musta really ticked off the doc to be getting the full treatment."

"What 'full treatment'?" John's cool act was not holding up at all.

"Don't know" Joel kept shooting looks at the door, almost hearing loud voices once or twice. He stood there trying not to sweat, trying to look as cool as possible in a paper gown with his ass hanging out, like he had done this all before. Or like he had never done this before. Whichever would get him through the next two minutes. He tried to keep up the meaningless babble, while keeping half his attention at that damn door, expecting to hear Kroos' voice yelling any second, echoing righ through the door, closed or not. But nothing. Now Joel stopped talking altogether, almost holding his breath. To keep his mind away from the possibility plans were going south, he went back to the displays, "Jack hold yer breath a second."

"What?"

"Hold your breath I wanna see something."

"Why?"

"Just do it geez yer a wuss!"

"Fuck you" but Jack took a deep breath and held it. As he thought the display for Resp started dropping. It came to rest at zero while some other displays starting climbing.

"Okay you can breathe now" Joel looked at the machine, then at the larger console, sitting off to one side, disconnected and dead "that's weird..."

"So?" Jack took a breath and twisted his head trying to look at John "what was that all about?"

"What's weird?" John said simultaneously.

"How long you guys been hooked up to these things?" Joel watched the numbers on the displays continue to rise and fall.

"What's weird?" John asked louder.

"Why're the docs using this one and not the other - "

"What other?" John tried to lift his head again.

"Whatdya mean other?" Jack had one arm free and was working on the strap over his chest "how come you know so much about this shit Merko?"

"I don't know nothin Eibens - "

"Bullshit!"

"I don't! Like I'm here just like you - "

"If I find out you're jerkin me" John looked back and forth between the two "right?"

"Tell me what the docs done so far?" Joel went back to the counter looking for their files. He started to thumb through the papers, not doing well at translating the doc's notes "what's he been asking you?"

"Geez Joel y'tryin to get us scared?"

"No..." Joel made out a word or two "why should I?"

"How come you're in here in the first place?" Jack was untying the strap "and naked too?"

"Doc's almost finished my exam when something came up - "

"Like?"

"Dunno. He hadda talk with Kroos about something. So I came in here to keep you two from busting up the place."

"Yeah right."

"Or knowing you, stealing all the drugs. So if he has both your numbers and physical stuff what's left?"

"Like I know?" John was lying there, his white t-shirt all discolored with sweat "Merko make yourself useful and get this shit offa me."

"So did the doc like take any blood yet?"

"Shit no" Jack had the strap off his chest, both arms free. He was starting on the leg strap but the snaps were different and he was getting nowhere "and don't remind him."

"Like I care" Joel saw a few notes on the second page of John's file he almost made out. He did not like what he saw "but okay, lemme help ya outa there."

Joel had put down the files and was checking the wire connections when the door opened.

"Joel, doctor Kroos wants to talk with you" the doc came in looking at the threesome. Before either of the guys said anything Joel was out the door, his gown flapping open with the gust of air from the hall.

"What the hell do you think you are you trying to do!" Kroos was all over him "Are you serious Joel?"

"Nice to see you too" Joel stood there, trying not to look scared shitless.

"What is this you were telling the doc - "

"Look Kroos let's cut to the good part okay? Like I told the doc, I been real cooperative around here. I mean REAL cooperative right?"

"So - "

"I ain't finished" Joel could almost see how ridiculous he must look "and like I told him because I been so cooperative, and you really don't have Billy to fall back on - "

"Yes we - "

"No you don't!" Joel's knees were actually starting to shake now "cause his dad is running outa excuses to tell the wife and she's starting to ask questions you don't want to answer you reading me? So - no don't interrupt I mean it - so Billy's only here cause I begged him to - cause you were supposed t'have one of the footballers here - ONE of them, not two! - and he was gonna face the music tonight when things got to the Naked-for-the-Camera part okay? But the next thing I know I'm ambushed here by not one but two of my buds and I can't disappear before they catch me - no listen Kroos I mean it - and I tell the doc I'm gonna cooperate with you guys, I'm gonna play ball but now" get ready to duck" now you gotta play ball too - "

"He told me some shit about - "

"It ain't SHIT KROOS!" Joel's fists were clenching and unclenching by themselves "I meant it. I mean it. The payback I'm lookin for now is that you play ball with me now. You are mine until Monday morning - "

"Look Joel" Kroos tried another tack "you know we are your friends - "

"And friends don't back out on friends."

"What?"

"I seem to remember you making me a promise, something like I do what you want that night that Mister Jones or Smith - I don't know, one of your 'business' partners - that night I hadda do that shit in front of them and you said if I agree you would go along with anything I want - "

"But I said for one night!"

"Well the rules have changed! Things have gotten a lot weirder around here since then. The stakes are higher" Joel nodded back at the exam room "right?"

"Joel - "

"And because it seems everything is starting to hit the fan around here" Joel was crazy enough to reach out and grab Kroos right in the crotch "those are my terms - "

"Joel I am sure we can work something out" Kroos pulled away from his hand.

"We just did Kroos. You are mine until Monday morning got it?"

"You do not honestly expect me to agree?"

"You don't expect me to go along with this anymore if you don't do you?"

"But Joel!"

"Okay you go in there and help the doc finish with those two" Joel stepped away, shit I'm getting away with this! I'm actually getting away with this!!! I'm gonna pull it off! "and no weird shit this time I mean it! A regular exam. And they're both gonna pass and be ready for Monday got it?"

"Joel..."

"And just to make sure I'm gonna be in there" he pointed at the second room down the hall "watching..."

"Why are you doing this? I thought you liked us. Me."

"I do Kroos. Remember I really really do" Joel turned away "now get in there and hurry up!"

Joel started down the hall straining to hear Kroos' next move behind him. He was braced in case Kroos lunged at him or any number of other unpleasant possibilities. When he heard the sound of the door he almost pissed himself!

Joel half-ran back to the door for the waiting room and stopped. He stood there catching his breath, waiting for the pounding in his head to ease up. There were actual drops of sweat hitting the tile floor he was so wound up. Before he made a puddle he wiped the spots with his foot and stuck his head through the door,

"Herms get in here" he whispered.

"What's happening?" Billy dropped the file he was holding. A few loose papers went sailing.

"Leave it! Now!" and Joel gestured for him to follow on the double. Billy was through the door fast.

"What happened?" Billy almost shouted before Joel slammed his hand over his mouth.

"Come with me" and the two half-ran half-tiptoed to the observation room, easing the door shut behind them.

"Joel what the fuck's going on?"

"Okay Herms you better sit down you won't fuckin believe this!"

"Believe what?"

"I know where the tapes are!"

"What?!?! Where?!?!"

"Listen and shuttup okay?" Joel pulled the gown over his head, catching Billy's eyes "chillout horndog. I nailed the doc tonight - no shuttup and listen - and I got him t'tell me about the tapes! They don't go to Chicago - I mean they do - but only for 'processing' he calls it, he may be bullshittin I don't know - just listen!" Joel panicked and went to the console and flipped off all the switches marked "audio". The main room went silent "and after this bogus company in Chicago does whatever with them, they COME BACK HERE!" he whispered, signaling Billy to shut up, pointing at the other room "not 'here', here. But somewhere in the basement, that's what the doc said - no I'm tellin ya okay? -- and yeah I got all weekend t'find them because Kroos is gonna help me find them - shutdafuckUP! - I'm explaining okay? I never told ya but one night your - I mean Kroos' guys were in here and he made me do shit - use your imagination okay? with them and t'get me to go along that night he said - I'm not makin this shit up - if I did what he wanted he'd do whatever I want for one night - "

"Bullshit!" Billy burst out, unable to hold it any longer.

"No! Not Bullshit" Joel was rummaging for his briefs, stepping into them fast, followed by the rest of his clothes "and grab yer ass, I think I got Kroos to agree to not just tonight but..." he grabbed Billy the shoulders and started shaking "the whole! fuckin! WEEKEND!"

Billy would have screamed to bring the whole building down but both of Joel's hands went for his mouth before the first grunt got out. When Billy calmed down and agreed to keep quiet, Joel went back to dressing.

"So yeah, Kroos n'me gonna get real friendly this weekend" Joel's expression got very serious all of a sudden "look Herms you gotta have the picture by now? After the shit I pulled with Soulman - no don't say it - I'm real sorry about that. I never woulda pulled that stunt had I known you and him - y'know what I mean - "

"He's still really pissed at you - "

"Even after fuckin me today?"

"Okay okay - "

"Not like I'm complaining Herms - "

"Joel!" Billy yelled then looked at the window expecting the guys to turn. But both Jack and John were back on the tables, no straps or equipment to be seen, with the doc and Kroos over them. It looked very medical and very normal. Except that John seemed to be talking none-stop but the sound was off.

"You are the lucky bastard to be - "

"It ain't like that" Billy kept his eyes on the other room "so y'know I'm gonna tell Hank you got Kroos to - "

"You don't hafta" Joel was stepping into his shoes "I'm gonna - no we're gonna Kroos and me both. He's gonna hear it from the source."

"What?"

"Herms get a fuckin clue!" Joel knocked him in the head "don't y'get it? Kroos's gonna do anything I tell'm to!"

"And...?"

"And if he's the one tied over the table with the whole sick crew there - yeah you and Soulman and Moose and - shit! the whole damn school for all I care!"

"You ain't serious!"

"Billy figure it out!" Joel was heading for the door "we won! We FUCKIN WON! After this weekend this whole little operation's gonna be shut down!"

"But what about - "

"If not shut down" Joel looked around the room, almost like he was giving it one fond farewell "at least so busted up no one's gonna haveta worry ever again. Now is it sinking in?"

"Look Joel" Billy was at the door grabbing Joel by the shirt "you better not be shittin me! Cause if you are then you know what they'll - "

"Herms I ain't shitting!" Joel pulled away, his shirt with a big stretch-mark on the front "just make sure everyone keeps tomorrow night open. I think we gonna have plans."

"What plans?"

"Just getta hold of everyone" Joel was leaving this time "everyone who wants a piece of Kroos, that is" and he was heading down the hall.

Billy expected Joel to turn to the waiting room door and leave, but instead he kept down the hall.

"Wait!" Billy whisper yelled "Joel!"

"What?"

"Nothin..." and Billy stood there too flabbergasted to move. He expected Joel to head for the backstairs, and sneak out the back as he threatened all night. If he had, then Billy would have known Joel had flipped, it was all bullshit to cover up for god-knows-what-worse, leaving him standing in the hallway when all hell startedd breaking loose. But Joel stopped at the exam room door, gave Billy a nod and a wink, and walked in like he was expected. Billy stood there too shocked to move.