Disclaimer/Reminder: The following story is a work of gay fiction although based on non-fictional occurrences. It contains sexual acts between males in high school as well as with males beyond high school age. There are scenes of definite humiliation, some of them graphic. If this subject matter is offensive to you or if you are too young to be reading it, please exit now. You have been warned. This story is the property of the author under U.S. copyright laws, and may not be used elsewhere without written consent. Otherwise enjoy. Emails expressing interest or wishing further information can be sent to: mtnuda@hotmail.com.
Note: All names and locations have been altered to protect the innocent. The state in which the story originally happened - coincidentally - has a legal age of sixteen; the "fictionalized" location does not. Also descriptions of unprotected sex are fictional due to story restraints. You understand you are reading a work of fiction; behave accordingly. Again, do not read this if you're a minor or are offended by gay situations or activities which can be classified as bdsm. Finally, thanks to all you loyal readers who have stuck with this story through thick and thin.
Chapter 92
Sunday Aug 11
"I suspect that not one 'conspiracy' but dozens - or hundreds
- of competing gangs of goons affect global
and local processes. On any given day,
one of these bands of Great Pirates might have more clout
than the others, bit it's seldom the same gang for two days,
much less two years.
Not to appear evasive,the gangs I would worry about the most,
if still inclined to worry, would include the Vatican/Mafia mob,
the Orange gang [Dutch-English bankers,who own American
banking, too], the CIA, fundamentalist Islam in general,
and the World Bank.
But they all have lots of rivals."
Robert Anton Wilson 1932-2007
"I will need the keys to unlock the office" Kroos stood under the hot midday sun flanked by the two officers, a competition to see who looked more uncomfortable "otherwise I cannot follow those orders."
"Seems fishy if you ask me" Officer Kelly reached into the plastic personal effects bag and produced the keys. Rather than hand them to the doctor he started applying various ones to the door "why we need this sick scumbag along to gather evidence..."
"Watch the language" Office Larson held the doctor tight, suspecting the guy was too intelligent to try anything as stupid as making a run for it "besides, those are our orders."
"Still seems as weird as tits on a bishop" Kelly was up to the fourth key on the set, getting nowhere.
"It should be the next one" Kroos was too tired to be impatient. He had been held in the lockup overnight and did not get much sleep. But the less he thought about what happened the easier this would be "the silver one yes that one."
"Why didn't ya just tell me that?"
"You could have asked him" Larson shook his head, trying to give Kroos a sympathetic smile. But Kroos was busy watching the glass doors, examining the reflection of the parking lot for anything unusual. There were several cars in the lot he may have recognized, but at this point it occurred to Kroos to keep such information to himself. After all he was under arrest and sandwiched between two of the city's finest. In uniform no less.
Kelly turned the key and opened the door,
"What? No alarm?"
"There are several businesses in this building" Kroos stated the obvious "I suspect whatever anti-burglar devices would be connected to the individual suites" they headed up the stairs single-file, with Kroos keeping step between them.
"Yeah, that's what I meant" Kelly looked at his partner: don't say it!
They walked down the echoing, stiffling corridor until they reached the frosted door to the medical suite. Kelly had the set of keys in his hand and was at the lock,
"So which one now- hey!" and with the slight pressure the door swung open "it's fucking open!"
"That is wrong" Kroos stepped back, expecting the worst. Even Kelly had his gun drawn, not sure what this implied.
"Put it away Kelly" Larson almost rolled his eyes "this ain't like your tv shows" and before anyone did anything stupid he pushed through. His hand was still on the door when he stopped dead in his tracks! "Chief!"
"James."
"Chief what are you DOING here?!?"
"What?" Kelly pushed Kroos through the door, as he put his gun away fast, coming through the door behind the prisoner even faster "Chief what are you doing here?"
"Officer Larson already asked me that, Pat" Harry Connors, Chief of Police did not get up. He sat behind the receptionist desk, piles of folders everywhere. It looked like he appreciated the break from what he was doing.
"Chief... sorry but no one told us you'd be here" Kelly looked at his partner, knowing they had been following orders but somehow screwed up royally in the process "I mean-"
"Remind me to have a chat with Simmons about that."
"He's not Duty Officer today, Ryerson is."
"Remind me to have a chat with both of them then" Harry sat there, looking more exhausted than angry. Either way Kelly and Larson recognized the foul mood he was in.
"Chief can we help you with-"
"No I have this under control" which was the opposite of how it looked "I will take it from here."
"Chief we were told to bring the prisoner here-"
"He's not a prisoner, only a suspect at this point" Harry rubbed his forehead "need I remind you of our judicial system?"
"No sir, sorry sir" even Larson was on his bad side now.
"As I said I will take it from here. You may both leave, you are dismissed."
"But Chief" Kelly hoped to disentangle himself from whatever mistake he had committed "the prisoner- I mean suspect was released to our-"
"Well he's in my custody now, is that clear?" Harry looked at Kelly.
"But... yes sir, very clear sir."
"That will be all officers."
The two looked at each other, saluted then made a slow backpeddling for the door. When their footsteps had faded down the stairs, Harry turned to Kroos,
"You really fucked up this time didn't you?"
"I can and will explain, Harry..."
"You don't need to explain" Harry rubbed his face, looking very tired and very stressed "I saw it all for myself remember?"
"Yes I remember it as clearly as if it were yesterday. Which it was" Kroos sat down in one of the visitors' chairs "I can think of very little else."
"You can't believe my reaction when I got the call last night!"
"From whom?" Kroos was glad to be sitting, even if it meant putting weight on his very very sore butt "from...?"
"From the District Super that's who" Harry held up one of the folders "no... not... them."
"But you must have known the FBI were going to be-"
"Damnit Kroos!" Harry tossed the folder at him, showing him what his morning reading material consisted of "don't you think I just about blew through the roof when I realized that dude was FBI?"
"You mean you did not-"
"No Kroos I DID NOT, okay?" Harry watched Kroos' reaction to what the folder contained "that's why we have a bigger problem on our hands now than even I can contain."
"But once they realize who... that is..."
"Yes yes we discussed that" Harry slammed his fist down on the table "the District Supervisor informed me that there might be difficulties, considering your... our... 'friends' have been invoking diplomatic immunity for some time."
"As I expect they would."
"As we both suspected" Harry waited for Kroos' reaction "well?"
"Well?"
"Aren't you even going to bother giving me some explanation of-"
"Yes..." Kroos rubbed his eyes, his palms like sandpaper, telling himself he needed aspirin, water and food in that order "but I do not know where to begin - no please do not say anything - so I must tell you why or at least tell you what I tried to explain to our assistant Joel last night, and maybe you might begin to understand why I did what I did. And no it is not what you think. You imagine I would suspect that it had to do with someone's libido, either mine or Joel's run wild, and drawing as many people into his, my, our sexual escapades, right? Well perhaps that was how it started, or perhaps that was the initial invisioning of the event. And yes there was a great deal of vengeful resentment directed towards me and my - towards our work. And Joel hoped to tap into all that anger and use it to punish me for all I have done to the unsuspecting citizens of your fair community. However there came a moment when even Joel realized how much deep-seated emotion he was tapping into, and it terrified him! He realized he had unleashed a terrible insatiable beast, and he had no idea how to contain it once the actions had been set into motion. He tried several times during the evening to dissuade me from going through with it - "
"So why didn't you?"
"That is why I am trying to explain. To myself as much as to you. Because once I began to grasp what Joel had in mind, a form of... how you say 'run the gauntlet' I believe? a type of group catharsis designed to vent all the built-up anger and yes lust! towards one trapped victim, well of course I wanted nothing to do with such a travesty, with such a mockery of our work here! But certain things happened at the Y -"
"I heard some of that from Harrington" Harry threw his head back, hoping the ceiling might cave in and put an end to his mounting problems "did you really make a stag movie at the goddamn Y? Kroos are you totally nuts?"
"No I would not characterize it as a 'stag movie' if I understand that phrase correctly. That gentleman named Rocko, you remember him as one of the repairmen from last night, was making exercise videos, yes exercise videos! when my assistant with the over-active imagination decided it would be an opportunity not to be overlooked to make me the focus of everyone's contempt and distain. However, something both curious and alarming occurred then. Yes, I will explain or at least try to give you my interpretation of those events. You see Harry, instead of those gentlemen present reviling me or brutalizing me, I somehow became a catalyst for all their pent-up frustration, all the way from the younger high-school age athletes to the more mature and I would have thought, more intelligent adults who would never allow themselves to be drawn into such a whirlpool of raw erotic energy. And when I realized that all their frustration could be channelled in this way, no not as scientifically or with such finesse as I tell myself we do here with our research, but in a most remarkable and unbridled, almost anarchistic way, the thought occurred to me that perhaps our research might be have more complex and far-reaching effects than even the more unorthodox of my predecessors had postulated."
"In English doc!"
"I recognized some of those present as persons having been processed by this office. Others I did not. But whether they had been here already or not, it appeared that all of them - ALL of them Harry you understand? - were responding in a similar if not identical manner to the rather peculiar if not ridiculous display I was being forced to do in front of them. But none of them, I repeat NONE, were displaying any negative reactions - "
"Hell no! They were all getting their rocks off, you kidding?"
"More than that Harry! You see the effect on the group, and what I was suspecting the community at large, was taking on all the characteristics of a mob psychology."
"Say what?"
"There were studies in our country during the war, studies of segments of the population during times of duress, and how they responded to various pressures. And once of the conclusions reached by some researchers was this: in any given group, one only needs to modify the behavior of a small percentage in order to modify the entire group! Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"You mean like brainwashing?"
"Indoctrination of any kind. Even within your police ranks, during the initial training of new recruits, I imagine all must go through similar rituals, similar procedures..."
"Of course! That's what makes them all such good officers, because they all go through the same training."
"But now imagine this: what if you could get the same results by only subjecting one in ten to such training?"
"I don't follow."
"Neither did I until I started to see the effects of our procedures on groups. Not individual patients, but groups of patients. Together. At the same time!"
"Like a group thing?"
"Yes, in a group. Somehow the procedures applied to one person would transfer, would spill over by osmosis almost, to the rest of the group. What affected one would affect all."
"How? That makes no sense!"
"No not in the least. We had no scientific model for such a ripple effect, as it were. But I saw something very much like this happen at the Y yesterday afternoon. And there was one way to test it..."
"Y'mean your little sex show last night?"
"If I had refused to participate last night, I might never have believed such a phenomenon might exist. So when Joel pulled his surprise on the drive there, my initial reaction was to beat some sense into that young man - "
"I still might do just that!"
"No you must not! Even if such police brutality were legal" Kroos cocked a smile to let Harry know he was not suggesting such a thing, even if his own processing had gone far beyond the normal textbook guidelines of regulation police interrogation "you must not harm Joel. His part now is crucial. No, after Joel told me what he had planned, and after I realized he was sorely regretting his foolishness once he realized it was too late to undo, no I came to the conclusion I needed to go through with such an ordeal. And I could only hope such a large group would prevent anything violent from taking place. And I could hope that the previous experiences at the Y would not prove to be an isolated, unrepeatable phenomenon."
"Again?"
"My suspicion that the creation of such a group mindset as took place at the Y might repeat in a larger, more controlled environment at Mort's. Because when such a group - or rather when a certain percentage of a group - becomes focused on a specific point -"
"Yeah, like a group gangbang with you on the receiving end!"
"As absurd as that sounds, and as peculiar their choice of sexual focus as myself might appear, yes. My guess would have been someone like Mark -"
"Who?"
"The gentlemen who displays the perfect musculature of a weight lifter, the person we hired - well that is story for another time. But someone with the physical attributes of Mark, or yes even someone like Rocko, or his assistant - his ADULT assistant right?"
"So why you?"
"Well, that is harder to explain. At first I believed Joel's idea. He selected me for several reasons, not the least because he believed I was the focus of everyone's resentment and anger from all these examinations."
"You gotta admit, there are a lot of guys who want to see you roughed up."
"So I would have thought. Before yesterday at the Y, yes. But I believe now Joel was, Joel is wrong. There are few who want to see me beaten and bashed. Not enough it would seem to tip the balance as it were, to affect the entire group, as I mentioned already. No, the percentage who appear to be swaying the populace as a whole are focused on something else entirely."
"Yeah, a piece of your ass!"
"Perhaps you are right" Kroos gave a short bark, standing and rubbing his rump to agree "but I begin to believe it is something else, something deeper and more unbelievable."
"Unbelievable? How?"
"How many of the participants last night do you know?"
"Most of them why?"
"Do you know the gentleman they were nicknaming 'bigfoot'? 'John bigfoot'?"
"No why? Friend of yours? Somebody who got the treatment in there?" thumbing behind his head at the interior rooms.
"No, and that is what I find so disturbing. There were some things he said to me, things he said while he was..."
"When?"
"When he was having intercourse with me. You saw all that I imagine. That is why you were there correct?"
"Well yeah kinda. You know I had to show up once I got the report about the bullshit at the Y, and then when I realized what they were - what you were up to with the whole group and the filming and everything. And yeah, so as not to blow my cover I had to make sure I got a front-row seat for the action, yeah."
"Would you have...?"
"Would I what?"
"Would you have... taken your turn raping me as well?"
"I'll let that slide Kroos" Harry hoped he did not look as shocked as he felt "because of what you been through an all. Got it?"
"Not important. But the reaction of some of the men last night, and some other peculiar occurrances as well, have caused me to look at our research from a new and very unexpected perspective."
"English here doc."
"Let me say this much: some patients, myself included, have exhibited behavior and unique mental states that have no precedent in any other trials. I have contacted earlier researchers and none of them report similar things happening."
"Such as?"
"I am not sure you would understand. But I am quite sure you would not believe me. Perhaps if your read for yourself, or witnessed for yourself such a thing happening, then you would understand. There are recorded, filmed incidents where - "
"Lotta good that does me. All these films you keep telling me about, and that inventory list-"
"But it is all there, the list identifies which patients were subjects of which -"
"The inventory I found in all this mess lists four hundred and seventy-five, or seventy-seven I can't make out, cassettes listing all previous participants."
"Yes, well?"
"Kroos, there are only three downstairs!"
"WHAT!?!" Kroos was back on his feet as fast as he could stand "what do you mean three?"
"I mean three! As in one less than four okay?" Harry grabbed at the folder from Kroos as fast he appeared to find it amidst all the loose files everywhere. After all it was - or will be - state's evidence "so where are the other four hundred and sevent-?"
"They are down there! Cabinets A and B! I can show you!"
"I was already down there" Harry was looking at Kroos, trying to catch the slightest indication of duplicity. But Kroos' shock looked too genuine "Cabinet A has nothing but a pile of dust and some loose labels. Cabinet B had only these" Harry reached behind the table and piled three cassettes onto one of the piles of folders, threatening to topple the whole stack onto the floor.
"Surely that cannot be right" Kroos was heading for the door "I am sure they must be down there-"
"Save yourself the trip" Harry sat down again behind the desk, running his hand through his thinning hair "I ain't making this up."
"Then where are they? Did your detectives already-?"
"You tell me doc" Harry continued to rub his temples, a nasty headache settling in for the duration "sooner rather than later."
"I am very serious" Kroos closed the door, locking it "but they must be there. If your men have not removed them already they MUST be here!"
"I tell you they ain't."
"Have you... have you called Reynolds?"
"Yeah, at four in the morning. He was totally in the dark as well. Are you sure they're not just in storage somewhere?"
"But that was - that IS their storage. This cannot be right. Of course a dozen or so always are out for... processing you understand..."
"Down there" not naming the town "right?"
"Yes of course... but not all of them! I know they are there. I just saw them Thursday or was it Friday."
"You here yesterday?"
"No of course not" Kroos was catching Harry's headache "I was..."
"Yeah, I was there remember?" Harry was at a total loss now "but earlier... in the afternoon, y'know before the Y, you weren't here?"
"No, not since Friday night. I was... detained..."
"You mean?"
"Yes... with Joel Merklins... the entire time" Kroos' paranoia was growing "so I know he did not do anything foolish. Who was here yesterday? With Doctor Reynolds?"
"He was here with two patients most of the day - no, not part of the research from what he said. He mentioned something about ulcer-"
"Oh yes, the ulcer patient and probably the emphysema follow-up from..." Kroos trailed off. So if Reynolds had been here yesterday, how did the tapes just disappear into thin air "we must find those tapes."
"Yes Kroos, we must find those tapes. We must find them before the Feds start asking the right questions, before they start looking for them."
"Is there any possibility..." Kroos lowered his voice, glancing at the ceiling "could your department, anyone in your department, have been given prior warning before yesterday... regarding...?"
"If you're asking if we have a mole..." Harry gave Kroos a peeved look "Special Section, guy named Beloies looking into that."
"Beloies? Would that be Harry Beloies?"
"You know him? Oh shit that's right..." Harry rubbed his face again, trying to erase it somehow "he's been through the exams like everyone else, hasn't he?"
"Yes... he has been here. That will be a problem correct?"
"Yes and no... probably no. In fact he was due to report back to me yesterday regarding certain... irregularities in medical procedures going on here - no don't sweat it - he was not going to start connecting the dots-"
"He had been to ... Mort's" Kroos announced, knowing the reaction it would have. It was the equivalent of saying: he had been told everything. Harry was too tired to scream.
"If I find out that was your idea - no don't bother, it was 'theirs' I imagine. Why what did he do? Tick off our... sponsors?"
"He displayed certain..."
"What? He had a big dick or shit?"
"Something like that. His responses to the device were... unique, they believed. No, not the responses I was describing earlier, not the psychological anomolies. Regardless he was enlisted to..."
"To keep the money rolling in, I can only imagine" Harry threw his head back, his hands waving surrender "doc you got anything around here for a headache?"
"Of course" Kroos went towards the inner door "this is still a doctor's office. For now."
The two went down the corridor to the observation room, Kroos unlocking it with the regained keys. Once inside, Kroos found a bottle of aspirin in the cabinet. As Harry was swallowing a handful and grabbing a paper cup at the sink, Kroos noticed the blinking red light on the extension phone. He picked it up and pressed several keys, a puzzled expression to Harry.
"This is Doctor Kroos" as he reached the answering service "what are the messages?"
He stood there a moment, jotting things onto a notepad on the desk. From how it looked to Harry, everyone and their brother had been trying to reach the docs' office. No fucking kidding! But when Kroos tore off a page and handed it to Harry, his headache went into fifth gear. Kroos pointed at the main exam room.
Harry went to the other extension and hit an open line. He was connected to the Consulate with the usual speed. He looked at the mirror, at Kroos watching him finish the conversation. By the time he hung up the phone, Kroos had joined him there.
"Why in the name of all that's sacred did they call for me here?" Harry looked at the room, at the exam tables, then at the device, the core problem he assumed they were facing "I mean here? Not the station?"
"Both calls would be as easy to trace correct?"
"Correct. Well..." Harry plunked down on the wooden stool, knowing it had been cleaned and dirtied more times than he would like to consider "well... the State Department is involved now."
"What?"
"Yes, now we have the State Department nosing around as well. When the Feds heard about the diplomatic immunity situation, that started a three-way avalance of calls among the Consulate, the State Department and themselves. And let's say I'm very happy I'm not working for the Bureau right now" he looked at Kroos with a crinkle on his lip "boy you would not believe the hornet's nest this whole thing is starting to stir up now!"
"Please explain."
"Well up to now - I mean up to yesterday, this whole operation was under the county jurisdiction. MY jurisdiction. Of course no complaints had been lodged at the state level. Kroos are you aware of other... 'examinations' going on elsewhere in the state?"
"Yes... I believe so" Kroos looked around the room, almost hoping the missing boxes of tapes would be lurking there in the corners somehow "two other centers here, as well as one in Illinois, several in the eastern states. I believe even one in Alaska."
"Alaska? Why is blue blazes Alaska?"
"You would have to ask our... sponsors that. But of course my contact with these other centers has been for the most part minimal to non-existant, you understand. And this is something I have grown to reconsider in light of my discoveries."
"Nobody knows nobody, nobody know nothing, is that it?"
"And it is not that our work here has not been keeping us much busier than anticipated. Doc Reynolds and I were considering serious augmentation to our staff."
"You mean besides the... 'interns' right?"
"Yes, besides our... summer students, yes."
"Damn...."
"So now what do you propose Harry?" Kroos stood there, waiting for the verdict. Right now his fate was in several people's hands, this gentleman for one "what happens now?"
"Well..." Harry looked around "I better contact the Feds and get some direction here. See what their orders are now, see how bad the damage is" he saw Kroos' notes clutched in his right hand "so what about the other calls?"
"Oh those.... I almost forgot. Well... there are quite a few calls - very agitated calls is how they were described - asking to contact either myself or Doctor Reynolds. I instructed the answering service to inform them... well inform them everything is under control. Everything IS under control is it not? And then there were... some... others..."
"What 'others' Kroos?"
"Well, before everything took this dramatic turn for the unexpected, I had made some... some informal appointments for today, pending..."
"Pending what?"
"Pending whether or not there would be a continuation of yesterday's... activities."
"You mean your little sex circus was going to go into overtime today as well?" Harry knew Kroos and could not believe he had agreed to any of this "what? you going for some kinda of record or shit?"
"I remind you, it was not all my doing. Not to say I am not partly or wholly responsible for all of this, which I am. Rather, today's activities were... hoped to prevent even more... difficulties from happening. It would seem now that no matter what my course of action, everything ran the risk of some form of disintegration regardless. I was hoping to postpone the inevitable you might say."
"Well we're not in prison yet" Harry made sure Kroos noticed the word "we" which he did "so I expect you will be cancelling your 'appointments' for today, right?"
"I will let you decide" Kroos examined the names again "the one patient I had tentatively scheduled - well I believe you met him yesterday, yes he was at last night's 'occasion' - one of the high school students who expects to begin training camp tomorrow-"
"Oh shit I forgot about that!"
"Unfortunately I cannot" Kroos continued "pending your conversation with the FBI, I suspect and sincerely hope the plans for the training camp might be salvaged, might continue as normal. If for no other reason than to bring some semblance of order to this town now. Convince the citizens of our community that everything is being done to mainitain the status quo as it were. If not we will have another layer of problems with which to deal, from irate parents, from a nervous school board, not to mention the state athletic board, you understand the situation. My suggestion is I return most of these calls and get as much accomplished as we can before either the Federal government, or worse! decides to padlock this office."
"So what do you have in mind?"
"This high school student, name of Guenther-"
"Jimmy Guenther? Fred's son?"
"Yes I believe so."
"Don't you know who Fred Guenther is? Hell, he's only the third or fourth most influential man in this county, perhaps the state!"
"No I was not aware."
"His kid was there last night?"
"Yes I believe so."
"Holy damnation!" Harry was out of the chair for the phone "get him in here! Do whatever you need to do to make sure that kid gets the red-carpet treatment you understand?"
"Very well" Kroos continued as Harry was on the phone "the other is the gentleman from last night, the Rocko gentleman I mentioned-"
"Fine fine whoever! Fred? Yes good morning it's Harry, yes I heard, yes we're doing everything we can now - no I understand - no I do not believe James will be - yes yes I understand - yes yes thank you Fred" and he hung up looking like a whipped puppy "well that did not go well."
"Mister Guenther said -?"
"Has a team of lawyers flying in even as we speak. Man talk about heavy artillery! I even think I recognized a name from CNN" and Harry was placing another call, this time to Willis' boss's boss. He was too busy interpreting the Fed's convoluted byzantine instructions to catch much of what Kroos was saying into the other phone, but when he heard Kroos say "county cop" he jumped and nodded. By the time he was off the phone from the Feds, Kroos had finished several calls as well.
"I trust that was an informative conversation?" Kroos was sweating now, knowing what may happen when all the puzzle pieces come together, when someone finished assembling the various parts into one alarming whole.
"Man you think we're running scared" Harry looked at the room again "you should have heard them! From what I can tell, the State Department now has all but told the Feds to back off. Of course once the FBI gets the scent it's open season. But my instructions, my remarkably clear and precise instructions are: do nothing! Make sure no evidence is lost or destroyed, the obvious, but otherwise nothing! No bringing anyone in for interrogation, not even seizure of records if it might provoke 'media suspicion', nothing! Just, how did he put it 'take a seat in the bleachers and let the top floor handle it', can you believe that?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"No shit!"
Kroos looked around the room, not sure which of the thousand tasks to start first. Harry noticed the fatigue on Kroos' face, even the tremor in his hands. He came over and put his hand on that big hot shoulder,
"Do you need to get some rest? The station would not have been the most conducive to sleep I imagine."
"We do not have time" Kroos stood there, frozen and indecisive. He felt a bit lost, a small part of his brain almost wishing Joel were here to give him orders, to bring direction to his chaotic thoughts. So when the door opened Kroos almost fainted.
"Doc?" Billy came through the door, seeing Kroos and Mister Doughboy from the prior evening. He was almost as shocked as Kroos looked "you?"
"Billy!" Kroos managed to recover after the shock "what are you doing here?
How did you-"
"He has keys remember?" Joe was right behind Billy, a hand on Billy's shoulder for support "we came up the back way" looking at Harry a bit puzzled "two of your officers are out front Connors, does that mean-"
"Joe... Billy..." Harry came over and shook their hands, Billy trying to mask his shock that his dad knew Mister Doughboy "what are you two doing here? You know this is-"
"A crime scene?" Billy broke away and went to Kroos "are you alright? You look like shit!"
"Thank you for your kind words" Kroos gave Billy a tired look.
"No seriously doc, you look like you been through - I mean... are you okay?
Did the cops..."
"No I will be fine" Kroos looked at Joe "I suspect this was Billy's idea."
"Actually it was mine" Joe looked at Harry "how bad is this Harry? I already alerted the Muscowskis to expect a visit today from your officers-"
"No need to push the panic button yet Herms" Harry kept his eyes on Billy "but they will be having informal chats" looking at Kroos "informal! discussions with everyone that was there last night. To slow the waves of panic if nothing else doc! And that chat would include you Billy."
"I know I know" looking at Kroos "but don't expect me to say anything to make the doc here look like all this was his idea or anything. After all it's that damn Merklins, he's the one you gotta be talking to."
"And is it Joel I should be asking about certain empty storage areas in the basement Billy?" Kroos rubbed his eyes then bored them into Billy expecting some kind of reaction. Billy twitched right on cue,
"What? What storage?"
"Billy all the tapes are... well they are missing. You would not be able to shed any light on that would you?"
"The tapes?" Billy looked at Mister Doughboy, then his dad, almost hearing a soft "cristbilly!" from him "the tapes? Aren't they there?"
"No Billy they are not" Harry looked at him "and if you know anything about where they are, you would be well advised to tell me" looking at Joe "your father will tell you who I am and why you do not want to get on my bad side."
"But..." Billy looked at his dad "who...?"
"He's Harry Connors... Chief of Police Connors... you recognize him now?"
"You?!?!" Billy almost gave himself whiplash "but I thought your were one of the guys last night..."
"You were there?" Joe missed that piece of information somehow.
"Yes we were there, right Billy?" Harry looked at him "and not hiding in the kitchen either."
"See?" Billy looked at his dad "I told you I was not getting into it with the rest of the guys. I was in back with Moose and" he turned to Harry "what happened to them - to the rest of the guys? Are they all under arrest too?"
"Who?"
"You know... Moose and Doug and Ern and..." looking at Kroos "Joel? Man I imagine you guys threw the book at him right?"
"Yes and no" Harry looked at Joe "I cannot give out particulars but no... no one from school - from the schools! - are currently in custody. You will be happy to know that none of your classmates are behind bars okay?"
"But what happened last night? Were they all arrested? Did they all get driven home in cuffs by your policemen?" like me? Billy almost said, did they all get weird interrogations on the long ride home like I did?
"Like I said they are all home under their own roofs under parental supervision right now" Harry looked at Kroos "but we - I mean you - have some business to conduct today. I told Fred you would call him as soon as - as soon as you came in" thumbing at the phone "which I imagine you will do in another ten minutes or so, correct?"
"Very well" Kroos looked at Billy and Joe "now please tell me you know where those tapes are Billy. Because the FBI will be - "
"FBI?" from both the Herms "what about?"
"Police matters which don't concern you right now" Harry turned to Kroos next "go get yourself cleaned up before anyone arrives. Billy's right; you're a stinkin mess."
"All right" Kroos patted Billy on the shoulder "you will tell me if you know why they are missing right?"
"Ah yeah... okay..." seeing the expression on his dad's face "of course doc!"
"Now unless you have any more questions I suggest Joe you take your son home before anyone else sees you here" Harry was almost directing Kroos out the door "and puts your ass even further in the sling. Okay Joe?"
"But what are we going to do?"
"You are going to go home and wait" Harry commanded "that's an order."
"Wait!" Billy was already in the hallway "doc?"
"What?" Kroos was out of his shirt and heading for the shower room.
"You sayin there're guys comin in today? Like patients?"
"Yes Billy there are" even Billy could hear the fatigue in his voice.
"Then you're gonna need help here. I can stay and - "
"Billy we need to go home" Joe started for the back stairs "now Billy."
"Is doc Reynolds coming in?"
"Y'know that's not a bad idea" Harry looked at Billy "can you call him while the doc is -"
"You bet" Billy was re-opening the exam room door "so I can start getting things set up for -"
"No just call Reynolds and -"
"Who's Fred?" Billy let nothing get by him "do I know him?"
"No you don't" Harry looked at Joe "but you do I imagine."
"Doc? You sure I shouldn't... y'know at least set up?"
"It would be embarrassing if his kid recognized Billy here" Harry yelled down at Kroos, stripping off his pants "we don't want any more problems from his dad."
"I know his son?" Billy wracked his brains "who is it?"
"It is Jimmy Guenther" Harry snapped, regretting it as soon as it slipped out.
"Baby Huey?" Billy smiled "he's coming in today? After last night?"
"Kroos?" Harry was double-timing down the hall "which one was he? Was he on stage?"
"No..." Kroos stood there in his stained underwear "I did not see him after the dining room. I suspect he was in the audience for... for the rest."
"Where was he?" Harry almost grabbed Billy.
"Like Kroos said, he was sitting in the back" Billy looked at his dad "Baby Huey likes to keep to the shadows. He's twenty kinds of uptight..."
"Why?" from Joe and Harry for different reasons.
"Baby's kinda... y'know... fat... okay?"
"He was there?" Joe asked Harry, not Billy "at the meltdown last night?"
"Yeah."
"Fred's kid's in this mess too?"
"Now you see what I'm trying to contain here?" Harry glared at Joe "it just ain't your kid been getting mixed up in all this okay?"
"Kroos..." Billy left those two to sort it out and was following Kroos into the shower room "he's really coming in here today?" through the door and joining him in the tiled area. By that point Kroos was stripped down and running the water already. Billy would have boned up right then and there seeing the big expanse of furred muscles but he was too shocked by all the bruises and discolorations all over Kroos' arms and back. He looked like he had played four quarters of football as naked as he stood "doc...?"
"What Billy?" Kroos had his head under the shower, too tired to turn.
"Doc... you're all... damn... you okay?"
"No Billy... I am not... okay."
"Can I help?" Billy wanted to reach out and touch the big guy but was afraid it would just make it worse. That and he was still fully dressed, not wanting to get drenched in the process "doc it's me Billy... let me help okay?"
"What can you do?" now that everything is out of control.
"Shit, for one I can at least prep for your patient... patients? How many are you expecting?"
"As few as one... as many as... two? Three?"
"Shit doc then I gotta be here. Lemme go call doc Reynolds now okay?"
"Billy?" Kroos turned sideways, showing more bruises as well as his red swollen cock "thank you."
"Shit..." Billy blushed "I woulda just for this show."
Kroos looked down at himself shaking his head "why? I feel like I have been bruised and disfigured beyond recognition."
"Can I get you anything for..." Billy nodded at the bruises "all those gotta hurt. You have anything for them?"
"I will be okay" Kroos looked at Billy, seeing the tented pants "thank you.
Tell Connors I will be finished momentarily."
"Ah.. oh... okay" Billy knew he was being dismissed. He left Kroos braced against the wall, the hot water doing some good he hoped. He went back down the hall and opened the door. The two jumped when they saw him. Billy could see from their expressions they were both upset. He could almost hear the argument still echoing off the white walls "Kroos said he'll be right out. He's getting cleaned up."
"Fine" Harry noticed Billy's damp front as well as the front of his pants still pushing out a bit "now I need you both to leave" the look he gave Joe was worth a million.
"Doc wants me to stay" Billy went over to the nearest phone, dialing the answering service from memory. He left instructions with the woman to contact Reynolds and why. She promised he would call his number in a few moments "now I have work to do."
"What work?" Joe shot an angry glance at Harry, the argument on hold.
"Look" he turned his back on them, pulling things out of drawers fast "the doc's all alone here, and until doc Reynolds shows up to help, I'm all he has right now, okay?"
"Billy, the chief is right, we need to go."
"You go, I gotta stay" throwing things on trays, pulling gowns from the storage cabinet, throwing covers on the exam table like he was out of time.
"Your dad's right" Harry watched Billy's practiced moves with some respect "you can't be here when Fred's son-"
"Baby Huey - sorry, Jimmy! - and I know each other okay? And what he needs to see right now is someone on his side okay?" catching Harry's expression "you want this to go smoothly or you want his dad making more trouble."
"But if you're here-"
"He'll know he ain't gotta worry about anything okay?"
"But-"
"What he doesn't need is the g.d. Head of the Police Department breathing down his neck right now okay?"
"Maybe he's right" Joe looked at Billy "but Billy if anything happens I want you out of here okay?"
"You know he can't stay" Harry tried.
"While you two figure it out I got work to do" and Billy left the room. He was in the second room fast, flipping the switches so he could he their resumed conversation.
"-whatever he said, this is fuckin crazy" watching Harry all but shaking his fist at his dad.
"Billy's a screwed up kid" thanks dad! "but maybe he's right about this one. We really want Connors making this worse right now?"
"Herms you know if any of us get through this in one piece it's gonna be a fuckin miracle right?"
"You told me everything was under control. You told me you were gonna fix this! You told me as long as -"
"Well that's kinda fuckin changed right? How was I supposed t'know the Feds were gonna get involved?"
"Because that's your job! You were gonna make sure none of this leaked out!"
"And I did!"
"So if you two don't know about the website" Billy re-appeared at the door wheeling in a second table "I'm not gonna be the one to clue you in."
"What do you know about a website?" Harry almost lunged at him, and would have had Joe not stepped between them.
"You two have work to do it sounds like from your argument" Billy thumbed at the one-way mirror "yeah I heard. So I'm gonna finish setting up and you two-" interrupted by the phone ringing. Harry beat Billy to it in two quick steps. He talked into it covering his mouth and hung up.
"Okay Reynold is on the way" glaring at Billy "and he said you could stay" raising his hand towards Joe's objection "only ONLY until the Guenther kid is squared away, but not for... anything else got it?" thumping his finger into Billy's chest "we clear on that?"
"Fine sure... " Billy went to his dad and gave him a hug "I'll be fine dad okay? Hell, I got the chief of the whole police force making sure I don't get into trouble here okay? Okay?"
"Okay..." Joe glanced at Harry "but remember what I said" then to Billy "call me when you're ready to leave. I'll tell your mother..."
"Tell mom what?" Billy panicked by reflex.
"I'll think of something" and Joe left the room.
Billy and Harry squared off, listening to the receding footsteps, then the sound of the back door closing.
"Kid you don't know how much trouble you're in."
"No Mister Connors...? Officer Connors?"
"Call me Harry" he rolled his eyes "after last night I guess anything else would be a bit absurd."
"So what'd I miss?" Billy started in, already prepping the second table.
"What d'you mean?"
"Y'know... last night? Hell I spent most of the night learning what not to do with table scraps in that kitchen okay?"
"You really were in the kitchen?"
"Fuck yeah" Billy caught himself "okay I'm busted for swearing. But hell, I'm already under arrest right?"
"Didn't the officer explain to you -"
"Hell, he was too busy..." Billy almost said checking out my dick! but continued "trying to explain how I was... but I wasn't at the same time. Hell, even dad's lawyers can't figure out if I'm going to jail or not."
"Well that all depends on what charges will be pressed, who will be charged" Harry looked at Billy, knowing he could not go into details with this minor "but if anyone is going to jail it will be your father before it is you."
"NO!"
"Which is something I don't want either son, okay?"
"My dad ain't part of this" Billy realized he was waving a reflex hammer at him like a weapon "I am okay? I'm the one been doing all this shit okay? Not him! Leave him outa this!"
"Well then I will need your help" Harry tried the arm-around-the-shoulder stunt "if you cooperate with the authorities maybe we can all avoid a lot of trouble."
"Okay, but don't blame my dad for my shit okay?"
"Well Billy... with you working here and everything you must know what happened to make all the recorded sessions disappear... right?"
"They really ain't here?" Billy knew full well they weren't. But he needed to hear it from the horse's mouth as it were. He needed to know how much the chief knew "I know there were some in there" nodded at the one-way mirror.
"How many?"
"Dunno... maybe a dozen or so... maybe some blanks mixed in?"
"Show me" and Billy led Harry, or rather was directed by Harry back out to the hall and down to the second exam room. They went through the cabinet together, Billy grabbing a few supplies as he did. They found a grand total of four tapes, none older than the prior Monday.
"So tell me how this works again" Harry looked around the room like he never saw it before. Billy maybe bought it.
"Well we - I mean the docs! - take pictures, well movies I guess, of all the procedures in there" looking at the main room "then they get put there" indicating the shelves in the cabinet "then Joel and me-"
"Joel?"
"Remember?" Billy wanted to slap him on the forehead "Joel? Last night? The guy who made Kroos do all that?"
"The Merklins kid from last night?"
"Yeah him" Billy got a weird feeling "go check on Kroos in the restrooms. He should be finished by now."
"Okay" and Harry left to go down the hall as Billy dashed for the front reception room. As he expected there were papers everywhere, the cops obviously already tore up the place. But he was really worried about Kroos in the shower. He was okay wasn't he? He wouldn't do anything stupid being left alone would he? and Billy tore down the hall fearing the worst. He was very very relieved to see Harry and a very naked wet Kroos emerging through that door, Kroos looking much better.
As soon as Billy could tell they were both okay and not going to kill each other, he was back at the front desk, trying to make some sense of what files had been tossed where. He was burrowing down the layers looking for the schedule book when Kroos reemerged, wearing his white coat and scrubs beneath. If not for the wet hair and the bloodshot eyes, Billy would never have suspected he had just been through a war.
"Billy do you need any help?"
"I should be askin you that... boss" Billy gave him a shy smile.
"Thank you for the help getting everything ready" Kroos made a few comments to Harry on the other side of the door Billy could not hear "yes very well."
"Where's the book?"
"Which book?"
"Appointment book doc. Who's down for today... besides Baby Huey?"
"Billy you must promise me you will not -"
"Jeeez doc" Billy went back to his shufflings and diggings "you know I would never call him that to his face! You think I want a black eye or somethin?"
"Is Jimmy like that? Is he a... violent person? a bully?"
"Hell no..." Billy kept digging "on the field yeah he's some kindaa killer.
Otherwise Baby Huey's real quiet. Hell you saw him last night - or maybe not. You were kinda... y'know... busy."
"Remind me to..." shaking his fist at Billy "you know you have it coming."
"Bring it on doc" Billy threw out his chin "but you might wanna heal up first. Y'know I'm a handful!"
"Billy..." Kroos shook his head "just... thanks."
"Look doc" Billy went over to him, and being as careful as he could gave Kroos a long warm hug "I don't know what's gonna happen. But just remember I don't blame anybody but myself - no listen! Nothing happened that I regret okay? Even that first time when..." fearing Harry was hanging on his every word "y'know... my 'exam' and all, okay? So if anybody should be thanking anybody, it should be me okay? So thank you doc for everything okay? For all of this okay?" and he hugged him again, hearing Kroos take a sharp breath before Billy let go "sorry, you must be still one big shitload of pain."
"I will be fine" Kroos held Billy's chin "thank you! You are a remarkable young man."
"And you are..." he whispered "one fuckin hot dude okay?"
Kroos broke away with a laugh and joined Harry in the hall, leaving Billy to his hopeless task.
Long before he found what he was looking for, there was a knock at the glass door. Billy looked up seeing a silhouette, no two. Well here we go, he thought.
Billy went to the door, a first surprised it was locked then realized that was going to be least of the changes around this place. He unlocked it and there stood the the father-and-son tagteam of Jimmy and Fred Guenther. Billy waved them into the waiting room before anyone could recover from their mutual surprise. Mr. Guenther was the first to speak,
"Who is blue blazes are you son?"
"Dad this is-" Jimmy tried before Billy overrode him.
"Hi I'm Billy, Billy Herms" extending his hand expecting it to be slapped out of the way "and I work here - well useta anyway."
"Used to? Son, you work here or not? Never mind" Fred looked up seeing Harry Connors come through the inner door "Harry..." going over to shake his hand "is he here?"
Billy did not need the diagram to know who "he" was. His first thought was to run down the hall and intercept Kroos before this guy went off on him. Not that Kroos couldn't take him if it came to that. Obviously, Baby Huey's genes did not come from his father, Billy laughed; the dude was maybe five-one or five-two and if he weighed one thirty it was from those imported expensive shoes. The guy was so immaculately groomed and a suit on Sunday? Well maybe they came from church, Billy guessed. To pray for their asses, maybe divine intervention was gonna keep their asses out of this sling! Or else the suit was dress-down for this guy. Like weekdays he wore a tuxedo or something. But something about the guy - besides his screaming wealth - gave Billy the creeps.
"Yes he is getting everything ready" Harry shot a look at Billy daring him to contradict him.
"Actually I got things ready" Billy had little left to lose "I worked here - well still do whenever the docs need me."
"You really work here?" Jimmy looked at Billy "ain't that kinda-"
"Look Ba-I mean Jimmy" Billy smiled, slapping him on the shoulder "not everyone got the dough you do. Some of us gotta earn our money, right?"
"Hey!"
"It's a joke okay?" Billy patted him again "seriously, I been working here on and off all summer" shooting a look at Harry then Fred "and the docs are the coolest dudes to work for, okay?"
"You mean really?" Jimmy was not believing a word of this, but suspected Billy was making this up in order to muddy the waters at this dangerous point, but for what reason he could not imagine. Maybe it was some weird crapper code? He decided to Miner code back at Billy to see if that was it "so you play second string" meaning: you dodge the blows letting others take the brunt "or you suit up?" meaning: are you up to eyeballs in this?
"Suit up, suit down" Billy had heard some of these code words around the locker room and had to play his guesses "run interference, even dirty dogpile" seeing Baby Huey's shocked reaction "hey, it's all part of the job.
And up until yesterday" looking at Harry "it was gonna get me into college. Now that's kinda outa my hands, right Chief?"
"Don't call me that" Harry rubbed his eyes looking at Fred "not until we-"
"Mr. Connors... sir" Billy bit his lip "and your father Mr. Guenter" he let go of Jimmy's hot wet shoulder "well now it's up to them... them and their friends... they gonna do their instant replay and call foul or not" looking at Jimmy's dad trying to follow all this "ain't that right?"
"Well we have much work to do" Harry looked at Fred and away quickly "before anything certain is known."
"Dad am I gonna be able to play football this year or not?"
"Jimmy you need your season" Billy took in the priceless expressions on the two adult's faces "and I need my season. Right now we just gotta wait and see. But our big worry is what happens tomorrow, right Chie- I mean Mister Connors? Will there be a training camp or not?"
"Hell I know" Jimmy caught himself "I mean, heck... I know if I don't pass this examination today, I ain't - I mean I am not going anywhere. So...?" looking at his dad, waiting for him to push a few buttons and make everything right "dad?"
"Well one step at a time James" Fred turned away from them as his pants pocket started beeping. He and his blackberry were out to the hall in a half-second.
"Well?" Jimmy turned to Chief Connors next "are you the one going to decide this? Or my dad?" meaning: who's the big man here? who's really calling the shots now?
"James I cannot go into particulars before..."
"Well why everyone's waiting around with this thumb up their..." Billy almost laughed when Jimmy's eyes bugged out "but in the meantime you gotta fill this shit - okay okay - this stuff out, here's a pen" and Billy almost shoved the clipboard into Jimmy's round belly.
Jimmy let out a loud "whhhuuuffff!" as he took the blow ready to kill Billy in a few seconds until he read what Billy wrote on the post-it note attached to the forms. It said: "south" stole the playbook - huddle with "mole". Jimmy had to read it twice before he got the message. "Stolen playbook" meant that all the preliminary rules and assumption were out the window, and "South" i.e. the arch-enemy was the cause of the alarms going off. Of course Billy did not actually mean the other school, but meant something or somebody else. But who? Jimmy could not figure out without taking Billy aside. And the "huddle with mole" meant it was time for a quiet one-on-one, because a "mole" meant they were not free to talk right now. At least that's the best Jimmy could make of it. Whatever conclusion he came to, Jimmy had to rethink his opinion of the crapper kid. Could he trust him though? Billy seemed to be telling him: don't trust nobody!
When Billy saw Jimmy read and then pocket the small note, he knew he got the idea through to him that things were a lot more dangerous than they seemed. But he did manage to help him complete the forms before his father reappeared, almost dragging Harry out to the hall with him. They could hear parts of muffled argument through the frosted doors in spite of their precaution.
"Don't forget to put down you have a mole" Billy tapped the form "y'know that one on your left ear?"
"But I don't have a-"
"Yeah y'do" Billy lowered his voice "we all do got it?" resuming his normal voice "so make sure you remember that..." taking the forms from him "and anything else you can trust the doc with" raising his finger to his lips "because the doc you can trust" making sure Jimmy heard him emphasize "doc" and not "trust" so he got the idea. To drive home the point he pointed at the two in the hall "cause this play ain't in the book, and you get to play quarterback on this one."
"What?" Jimmy almost followed Billy's messages until he got to the quarterback part "quarterback?"
"Yeah, the doc hands off the ball and you can throw it" writing a word on a piece of scrap paper Billy read as "dad" or you can run it yourself" scratching out "dad" and writing "doc" in its place "but if y'wanna avoid gettin sacked I think we need to run this ourselves, got it?"
"You mean...?" Billy looked at the two coming back through the door "me? Us?"
"What are you two conspiring about?" Fred looked at his son with a familiar beady expression "James?"
"We were talking about if we're gonna get to go to camp tomorrow" Jimmy answered not missing a beat, giving Billy a thumbs up signal behind his back. Billy cut in,
"And we decided we gotta whole lotta stuff to get ready before then so..." Billy got up and headed for the inner door "unless we're violating some law I don't know about" Billy wanted to draw a reaction out of Harry one way or the other "I need to tell Kroo- I mean the doctor his patient is here. Okay?" and when Harry didn't stop him he made his hasty escape.
"Like we discussed okay?" Fred looked at Harry as his cellphone started chiming. He opened it and barked "a minute!" then turned to his son "James I must leave for a while. I do not expect that you were thinking I would stay for your check-up" then into the cellphone again "a minute!" then to James again "but Harry here will stay on the premises in order to make sure..."
"Make sure what?" Jimmy got nervous. As much as the thought of his father standing there overseeing his humiliating and very personal check-up gave him a serious case of the cramps, having the Chief of Police monitoring his every move made him want to crawl under the rug! "he's gonna be here? You gonna be here?" looking at Harry with pure panic "here? When I...?"
"No I don't need to watch" glancing at Fred "unless you feel the need for-"
"Fuck no!" Jimmy bit his lip "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that, I'm upset and -"
"I told you James, that type of language is not allowed. It is common and vulgar, and if your mother ever suspected you even knew such words..."
"I'm sorry father, I won't let it happen again" duly whipped Jimmy sat down and tried to hide behind a Sports Illustrated.
"Very well..." shaking hands with Harry "I am putting my trust in you" and he was gone, barking into the cell phone before he was even out the door.
"You heard your father..." Harry started slowly, wondering what was taking so long "your father put you in my... well jurisdiction is a strong word. Let's say I need to follow his wishes, and make sure nothing... unusual happens here."
"Unusual?" Jimmy reminded himself this guy could not be trusted. Even before Billy's cryptic coded messages, he did not want to deal with any of these guys. Having your head in a noose kind of changes your perspective he kept telling himself "y'mean like last night? Or is that your idea of 'usual'?"
"Hey watch it!"
"No seriously... Harry" daring him to correct him "after last night I could not believe you were really the damn head of the damn police force! And you running around bareass naked up on that stage!"
"Watch it I mean it! You may be Guenther's kid but you -"
"But I'm still in this shit like all the rest okay? So my dad won't tell me, he won't give me a straight answer to save my life, am I going to jail? Can I kiss my ass goodbye or what?"
"You are not going to jail" Harry stared at the inner door, almost willing it to open "at least you won't if your father and his lawyers have anything to say about it."
"Then why are you here? Why are you-"
"To make sure nothing happens okay?"
"Happens?" Jimmy remembered the note and Billy's signals "like what? We gonna get raided again?"
"Hell no."
"Then what are you so afraid of-"
"Look kid I gotta spell it out for you?"
"Yeah. Finally. What?"
"I am here to make sure the doc does not do anything funny today-"
"Funny?" Jimmy almost laughed "like how funny?"
"If you don't know I'm not gonna tell ya."
"Oh..." Jimmy dared himself to actually say the words "oh... like do something illegal in there... like try to sodomize me like you were gonna do to him last night?"
"You're outa line boy!"
"You're gonna stick around to make sure he don't stick his cock up my ass? Is that it?"
"For Fred's son you sure got a dirty mouth" Harry went over to the door, opening it "hey!"
"Yes?" they heard Billy's voice, then Billy came through the exam room door "what?"
"How much longer?"
"We're ready..." Billy stuck his head back inside "right?"
"Fine" Harry barked at Jimmy "they want you in there now."
"What about you?" Jimmy got nervous, the full implications coming into view "you weren't serious about... y'know staying for the exam n'all right?"
"I promised your dad I would be here" Harry looked at the floor "but I didn't intend to be in the room with you for crissakes! Hell you want me t'hold you hand and everything?"
"Fuck no!" Jimmy looked at him, expecting a response. Instead Harry just held the door for him, then replaced him in the receptionist's chair.
Jimmy took a deep breath then opened the exam room door. He did not know what to expect, especially after Billy's hints and warnings. But seeing the sterile room and smelling the antiseptic smells brought it all back. All the times as a kid his mom dragged him here and he had to suffer the humiliations and miseries of all the pokings and jabbings and worse! Having to strip down in front of an adult like the doctor only made his slow genital growth more embarrassing. When he entered puberty and noticed with each passing year the other guys in the locker rooms pace him and then pass him in the race for adult sized dicks, he only became more and more self-conscious about it. But being big and intimidating helped a bit, and anyone who made the mistake of calling him names never tried it again. Yeah, he heard all the "baby huey" talk behind his back, but compared to how much worse it could have been, settled for the the milder insult. And most of the guys on the team got over the taunts once they realized Jimmy was not taking the bait. Or he would respond with something much much worse. Everyone except for Brian and Terry aka the Incredible Hulk, who made a point of staring and smirking. So Brainless and the Incredible Bulk were not on Jimmy's good side, but they respected each other's athletic abilities, even if begrudgingly. So when Jimmy went through the door he didn't know what to expect. But when he didn't see the whole team there, or the entire police department, he felt he got off easy. He looked at Billy who gave a short nod at the mirrored wall,
"So... now what?"
"Well doc you need me any more?" Billy came over to Jimmy with a hanger, contradicting himself.
"No that is fine. If I need you I will call for you."
"Don't you want me manning the camera?" Billy winked at Jimmy, who froze in mid motion "like the others?"
"W-w-wha?"
"No Billy, not today" Kroos finished making a few notes to Jimmy's file.
"Y'fuckin kidding?" Jimmy whispered to Billy "c-c-cameras?"
"Usually" Billy pointed at Jimmy's shirt, holding up the hanger "but y'heard the doc. Guess no more cameras, huh?"
"Y'bullshittin right?" looking around the room, and there in the corner stood the decapitated stand. Even Jimmy understood what it was "fuck..."
"So when you finished gettin outa those things, hang them up over there."
"Where?"
"The cabinet dummy."
"Don't call me dummy, crapper."
"Don't call me crapper... boss" Billy winked, seeing Jimmy's nervousness.
Jimmy looked around the room, his gaze returning again and again to that one-way mirror. Shit, you think I'm so dumb I don't know what that is? Just his luck, his dad and that Harry guy and shit half the town are back there watching this right now!
"Billy?" Jimmy croaked out "y'think... maybe..."
"Maybe what?"
"Y'don't haveta if you don't... I mean..."
"Spit it out already" Billy noticed Kroos had finished with their notes and was waiting as patiently as he could under the circumstances.
"Y'think y'could... maybe... y'know stay?"
"Why?" Billy caught the expression "oh, to remind you t'tell the doc about your... mole?" underlining the last word.
"No shit! I mean... yeah... so I don't y'know... dig out from the pile under the dogs, y'know..." which he hoped Billy understood as: so I don't get suckered into anything nasty or kinky here. He intentionally did not say "dirty dog pile" like Billy earlier. That phrase meant only one thing: taking turns in the shower with someone on the receiving end, much like Kroos' experience only a few hours before. When Jimmy heard Billy use that phrase he was not sure which was more shocking: that Billy knew what it meant or that he was warning Jimmy such things went on here! In the docs' office!
"Cool I'll watch yer... back" Billy almost said "ass" but did not want to spook him any more "Kroos okay if I stay and assist? Jimmy here don't care."
"All right you may stay for the initial exam" Kroos was watching the exchange between the two, suspecting something was getting lost in translation "but later, when..."
"No I don't need to be here for the..." Billy wiggled his fingers in the air, both knowing what that implied "not that I have seen my share of those."
"Billy!"
"Sorry doc... guess I get jaded after a while" winking at Jimmy "y'seen one butthole y'seen'm all right?"
"Fuck you Herms!" Jimmy shook his head "y'gotta get yourself another job."
"Yeah like laundry boy for the girls locker room?" a short jab to Jimmy's undefended midsection "or you already fill that?"
"You're nuts you know that right?"
"Guenther we're all nuts remember?" again the slight nod at the mirror.
"Oh yeah... right..."
"Speaking of nuts..." Billy took the shirt from Jimmy's hesitating hand after the longest pause "y'want me to adminster the 'turn and cough' to our patient here when the time comes?"
"Billy! That is enough" Kroos went over to the table patting it for Jimmy "I need you here, and no more of your embarrassing comments Billy."
"Ain't embarrassing" Jimmy kicked out of his shoes, his hands now hesitating at his belt "too lame t'be embarrassing. I know y'ain't got the balls..."
"Ain't my balls we're talkin about" Billy chuckled "besides, after last night y'probably had enough hands on yer nads t'last a lifetime right?"
Kroos and Jimmy both took a gulp of air, the subject in the open and staring at them like the headlights of an approaching semi. Billy noticed no one was laughing.
"Geez lighten up okay? Compared to that craziness, this is kindergarten okay?" but Jimmy was beat red and frozen stiff, only the sweat running down his face moving "sorry Kroos, but we were all there okay? Okay?"
"Billy maybe this is not the right time" and even Jimmy caught his nervous glance around the room.
"Sorry Kroos, I just meant we're safe here okay? I mean relatively... safe... okay?"
"So you stayin for this, huh?" Jimmy's hands came back to life as he unsnapped the belt buckle, and unzipped the fly. He turned his back on Billy as he tugged them down his big legs, but then turned as he handed them to Billy, a brave shrug when he noticed Billy was staring at his chest, not his crotch "what?"
"Lemme take that t-shirt too" Billy put the pants on the hanger "dry it out if nothing else."
"Sure... whatever" Jimmy pulled it over his head, his full belly shaking as he did. He handed it to him, not really expecting a snide comment but braced nonetheless. When Billy did not ask for his briefs but went to the cabinet to hang up his clothes Jimmy knew Billy's presense might be a good thing after all.
"First we need your current height and weight" Kroos directed him to the scale and rattled off the numbers as Billy jotted them down. They continued with all the other measurements, Jimmy giving Billy odd looks at several points, in part to keep his eyes off that damn mirror. He swore he could see faces or shapes moving behind it but knew or hoped it was his imagination.
Kroos continued with the exam, at one point asking Billy to find one of the bottle of diuretic from the the refrigerator. He was a bit surprised when Billy told them they were gone, then Billy went to the cabinet and found a box of four, unopened and room temperature. They both apologized but Jimmy drank it down without so much as a grimace. As the last of the examinations were finishing and all three knew the more private parts were next Billy excused himself,
"Well Jimmy here's where I leave you two" setting down the clipboard next to Kroos and heading for the door.
"Y'don't haveta... y'know..." Jimmy was almost growing to rely on Billy's presence now, his jokes and gestures having a distracting effect. But why on earth would he want him to stay for the really really embarrassing stuff?
Maybe because he knew Billy would not, could not! go and repeat any of this, not after all the shit they got into already, now they were in the same boat in a way. And from the hints earlier, it seemed Billy was the only one he could trust now. But trust a crapper? Had it come to this?
"No that would not be necessary" Kroos went to exam tray, producing a few items, including the unavoidable gloves. When Jimmy saw those he knew where this was heading, not that it was any surprise "and if you could check on our... receptionist out there?"
"You mean the Chief of Receptionists?" Billy frowned "yeah I'll make sure he doesn't get into - "
"No Billy" Kroos almost looked at the ceiling "I want you to cooperate with Mister Connors fully. Do you understand?"
"I understand" Billy had his hand on the doorknob when it almost twisted his wrist. Harry came through the door, almost knocking Billy over, almost toppling Jimmy balanced on one foot trying to remove his briefs.
"Kroos we got company!"