The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long, Chapter 41
Warning:
This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction between males of similar age. If the reading or possessing this material is illegal in your country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so.
The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without explicit authorization from me.
I have written several other stories. My longer ones on Nifty include: "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004), "Jacob and Jacques" (May 30, 2004), "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Tales from Bentonville" (November 16, 2008), "Second Chance" (September 24, 2010), and "Tommy and Tanner (October 21, 2012)under "High School" and "Someone to Watch over Me" under "Beginnings" in the gay male section.
My short stories include: "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 22, 2004 under "Camping", "Of Angels and Dragons" (November 8, 2008) under "Camping", "A Christmas Tale" (December 22, 2009), "Wyatt's Thanksgiving" (November 20, 2012)under "High School", "Brazil Affair" (October 1, 2010), "A Technological Christmas" (December 23, 2011), and "Patrick's Christmas (December 19, 2012) under "Beginnings," I have one story in the Sci Fi/Fantasy category called, "Seth's Gift" (October 10, 2010).
"Banana Splits" was added under "adult friendships" (September 17,1013).
You can easily access most of my tales by going to the "Author" button in Nifty's home page and scrolling down to David Lee. Some of these stories are also posted at: www.storylover.us and www.saberpeak.com.
My only reward for contributing to Nifty is your emails. Please write if you like the story. Please include the name of the story in the subject line of your email because my email service sometimes puts them in the "spam" file.
Thanks and hugs to Tom and David (boxerdude) who edit for me so that there are fewer mistakes! They not only proof-read, but make other valuable suggestions.
Your donations to Nifty are appreciated to keep this a free site for us and for you.
David (dlee169@hotmail.com)
Warning #2: There is a nasty crime scene which occurs in the paragraphs following the bit where Jon Hugs his dad in the hallway at school. You may want to skip of skim over that part if it makes you uncomfortable. I tried to tone it down more, but my editors and I agreed that my revised version didn't work well.
The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long, Chapter 41
For all the recognition Tyler had been receiving for his soccer playing, he remained remarkably humble. That made him popular among his teammates. He seemed to make new friends by the day, but he feared it might be putting a strain on established relationships.
One evening after dinner, he went down to the apartment where Davy and Jon were finishing up their homework because he wanted to make sure he hadn't alienated his older cousin in the process making a name for himself.
"Uh, are you mad at me for not sitting with you guys at lunch?" he said, by way of starting the conversation.
"Not at all," Davy smiled, as he stood to squeeze Tyler's neck affectionately.
"Good! I didn't want you to think I was deserting you after all you've done to help me adjust to school."
"I think Joe is the one who has done the most." Davy replied.
"You saved my ass when Percy was about to do me great bodily harm! If you hadn't stepped in, I'll bet I'd have been nursing broken ribs instead of bruised ones! You stopped him just in time."
"I was glad to help. We're family, after all."
"Well, I'm glad you're not mad."
"What I am," Davy replied, "is proud. You're really great on the soccer field, but you haven't got the big-head from it. You're making a lot of friends, so you'll be okay when Jon and I graduate next year. So many kids know you and like you that I don't think anyone is ever gonna pick on you anyway."
"Thanks, I feel better about sitting in different places in the cafeteria now that I don't feel like an outsider."
"We saw you with a bunch of your teammates yesterday and today. Have you abandoned the girls and your three main guy friends?"
"Not really, but Caitlin has become kinda possessive since she kissed my bruise. I'm not ready to go steady with anyone yet. For sure I don't want to ignore the three musketeers. We're still tight."
"Are they going steady with those other girls?"
"Nah, it's kinda like the way Willa and Jenna are with you guys. I think that's how it should be. We're all too young to get laid, even though we all dream about it."
"You're a wise kid, cousin; and not a wise-ass," Davy joked.
"Thanks, I think."
Todd rushed to the main office, responding to the summons from Dr. Campbell's secretary. Before he could get there, he heard a gunshot. His heart nearly stopped, but his feet led him steadily toward his destination.
"It's okay," Davy's voice rang out. "We're safe and we've subdued him."
Todd immediately entered Dr. Campbell's office and put handcuffs on the boy whom she had pinned to the floor. He called in for backup and waited with his prisoner as he'd been instructed to do. Chief Ryan still wanted officers to canvass the whole building, but was relatively sure there weren't others involved since no more shots had been fired.
Frances Campbell was already on the phone with Dr. Pilchard. She updated him on what had transpired in her office. The two of them coordinated how to best handle the fallout from the situation. Both of them felt that Percy had probably acted alone, but they kept the emergency plan in force, and would, until the police gave the all-clear.
A good share of the officers on the force arrived within minutes and began to do a sweep of the school inside and out. The whole place was on lockdown because the secretary's actions had alerted all of the staff to the potential of shooters on the loose. Teachers had secured their doors and put signs in their windows to let the officers know of their status.
When the police were satisfied that there was no longer any threat to students or staff, they allowed the administrators to make announcements.
"Attention everyone, this is Dr. Pilchard and I have several announcements to make. Some of you may have heard a gunshot about an hour ago. First, I want to tell you that no one was injured and that the person responsible has been taken into custody. He is no longer on the campus.
I'm sorry that you all had to remain on lockdown until now, but let me assure you it was for your protection. Dr. Campbell and I have put an announcement on the TV stations and sent text messages to let parents and guardians know that you're all safe. We will be dismissing classes for the day in a few minutes, but anyone who wants to come to the practice gym to talk to the counselors is welcome to do that.
Also, lunch will be served for anyone who is interested in staying. Since it's nearly time for "A" lunch to start, you may go there as soon as you're dismissed, no matter which lunch you usually eat.
Some after-school practices will go on beginning at 1:30, but no one will be penalized for not participating. We anticipate that school will continue on Monday as scheduled. This is not a situation like Columbine or Newtown. No one has been hurt, thank God, and we feel that the quickest way to recover from the scare we've had is to go on with our usual routine.
Thank you for your attention and have a good weekend. It wouldn't hurt to hug someone you care about."
As soon as possible, the police had begun to interview Davy and the associate principal separately.
Frances Campbell began her narration by telling them that she had asked David to come to her office to talk about demonstrating the kick he'd used on Percy and help teach it to the karate club. She and Harrison thought they might be capable of doing it, but she thought it would make more of an impression if the other kids could see a peer doing it. Besides, Davy had done it flawlessly.
As they were winding up their discussion, Percy had burst into her office with a loaded gun in his hand, threatening to kill them. Fortunately she and David were not standing close together and Percy couldn't keep the gun trained on both of them at once. He had ordered David to move next to her, but David had refused, so Percy pointed the gun on him and took aim.
At that point, she had made a move to distract Percy. When he hesitated for a split second, David had executed the high kick he'd used on Percy on the athletic field; only this time, he sent the gun into the air just as it went off.
"He saved my life," she said.
Davy told a similar story about the events. He made less of his part in the struggle than she had, but otherwise, everything checked out completely.
When Dr. Campbell had a couple of minutes to talk to Davy after they'd told their story to the police, she reiterated her claim.
"You saved my life today."
"You saved mine, by trying to get him to aim at you," Davy insisted.
"I'd have been dead if I'd have been alone."
"So would I." Davy persisted.
"I guess we make a good team," she smiled as she high-fived him.
They were interrupted by a message from her secretary about a call she thought Dr. Campbell would want to take.
"Bernie, thank God you're okay. I was certain you'd be as high or higher on Percy's list as I was. Yeah, I'm okay. David Hart is too. He saved my life today! Yes, love you too."
Davy grinned as he saw the look of bewilderment on her face. Evidently, because of the shock, she'd forgotten he was still there.
"The board discourages fraternization between unmarried administrators and staff. I hope you didn't overhear that."
"I'm sorry, Dr. Campbell. I have a partial ear blockage from swimming. Could you repeat that?"
"You, young Mr. Hart are a gentleman!"
"Thanks!"
Knowing that Davy had been summoned to the main office about 20 minutes before the lockdown and hadn't returned to class, Jon was almost crazy with worry. He hurried in that direction the moment students were allowed to leave. On the way, he ran into his father who hugged him tightly and told him that Davy was fine.
"It will be a few minutes before we're done getting his statement. You know how these things go."
"Who was the shooter?"
"It was Percy Harris. I'm not telling you anything that won't be on the news as soon as we've notified his parents, but please keep it under wraps for now. I imagine it's unofficially all over school because I'm sure someone must have seen him carried out."
"Wow, did someone shoot him?"
"No, Davy disarmed him, Dr. Campbell subdued him, and I handcuffed him. However, he became violent before the backup arrived and I was forced to use my taser on him. It wasn't something I wanted to do, but he was absolutely out of control."
"I can imagine. I thought maybe it was someone like Reed Halverson coming back for revenge. I wouldn't have been surprised."
"You were correct about the revenge part. Uh, I'm still on duty, so I need to go to the gym to answer some of these questions from other students who are still here. I must remember not to name the perpetrator."
"Thanks, Dad! I love you."
Father and son shared one more quick hug before going their separate ways.
Chief Ryan dispatched officers James Rankin and William Bullock to the Harris home after discovering that Mrs. Harris was not at work when they attempted to contact her. Mr. Harris had been notified and was at the police station in a state of shock and denial, waiting for his wife to join him.
When the two policemen entered the open back door of the home, they were sickened by the sight. Georgia Harris lay in a pool of blood, nude from the waist down with a wine bottle wedged in her vagina.
The first thing they did was to check for a pulse and call for an ambulance. Her pulse was weak and her breathing barely discernible, but she was alive.
Since there was nothing more they could do for her, Officer Bullock began to photograph everything in the kitchen before the medics arrived and disturbed the evidence.
While he did that, Detective Rankin gloved up to take DNA samples. The first was that of a sticky white residue a few feet from where the victim lay. Some of it was splattered on a sheet of paper with a sick rhyme scrawled across it. He read it aloud to Bill, who looked ill as he heard it.
Dearest Mommy, stupid bitch,
Loved to watch you squirm and twitch.
You pronounced me full of sin,
Ready for the loony bin.
So I shot you in the head
Watched you as you died and bled.
Dearest Mommy gone to Hell,
Thought you knew me very well.
I who showed you no mercy,
I your loving son, Percy.
Georgia Harris came to for a few moments and looked up at Officer Bullock.
"Please don't hurt him..."
Then she gasped and lay very still.
The EMT's arrived at that point and checked her out. They couldn't get a pulse, and tried for several minutes to revive her. Despite their efforts, it appeared she had died. Of course they didn't stop trying as the transported her to the hospital.
As soon as the ambulance left, Jim and Bill went outside to cordon off the area and to get a breath of fresh air.
"I nearly threw up in there," Bill admitted. "I've seen a lot of nasty things in my life, but the vision of what that boy must have done to his mother tops it all. That poem he left was pure evil!"
"I hear you, man," Jim agreed. "I almost lost my lunch too. I think we have a very sick lunatic on our hands. I'll bet he'll spend a long time in a mental institution before they even consider him competent enough to stand trial. I only hope they can help him, and not let him out to hurt others if he can't be cured."
"Do you think the parents are at fault?"
"Maybe they're responsible to some extent; but there was a screw loose inside of his head that doesn't come from pampering him. If they knew he needed mental help and didn't see to it that he got it, they're guilty of something, but I don't think being indulgent with him can account for what happened here. I know how they tried to run interference for him with the soccer coach and administration. You know I get a lot of inside school gossip from Jon and Davy."
"I'm sure you do. Well, I guess we need to go over the crime scene again to make sure we haven't missed anything. I suspect that little hole in the wall by the refrigerator might be a bullet hole. It looks about right for a 380."
"Yup, we'd better dig it out carefully. It looks like an open and shut case, but we can't mess it up over some detail."
Brent put together a quick dinner menu and invited the people he felt would need to be there the most. As Brock left to go to the high school, Brent stopped at the Target deli department, picking up several roasted chickens, buckets of coleslaw and pasta salad plus a loaf of bakery bread and a couple of good sized containers of ready to eat salad.
He planned for one chicken per every two people and added another for good measure, knowing that the boys would likely be able to polish off that one as well. He remembered fondly how his grandmother had always planned extra food when inviting company, just in case...
When Jim, the last member of the extended clan, arrived, Brent pulled the first few chickens out of the oven where he'd kept them warm.
"Um, could I say grace tonight?" Jon asked.
"Of course," Brent smiled. "We don't do that nearly enough."
"Dear God, thanks for protecting Davy today. I can't even think about the alternative. Amen. Oops, thanks for the food and for Brent who got this together. Amen."
His prayer may have been a little less than eloquent, but it didn't lack for heart. There wasn't a dry eye at the table when he finished.
Once their emotions were under control, everyone ate pretty heartily, except for Davy who seemed preoccupied. Brock felt for his son and hugged him closely several times after they had retired to the family room to watch a bit of TV. It seemed as if the local channels couldn't get enough of the story of the day. Davy had declined to be interviewed, but a number of other kids hadn't. It bugged him to listen to the stories being told by students who hadn't been close enough to the action to have a clue. It made him have second thoughts about not giving an interview, if only to have the facts stated correctly.
In the midst of it, Davy started to shake. Jon, who assumed that he was crying, held him tightly and spoke softly. However, he became alarmed as he sensed that Davy's heart was beating as rapidly as if they'd just run a race.
"Brock, something's wrong!" he cried out.
"We'd better get him to the emergency room," Jim suggested. I think he's having a panic attack. Let me drive the cruiser so we can get there quickly."
Brock and Jim carried Davy to the back of the big sedan where they laid him down, his head in Jon's lap. Jim spoke calmly about Davy's condition, as he radioed in to the hospital, but he didn't spare any gas in getting there.
Several people were sitting in the waiting room with various ailments, but Davy had priority because of being brought by a policeman that everyone in the ER knew by name.
A young doctor saw him immediately.
"I agree with your diagnosis, Jim," he smiled. "We could use you in this unit when you have a night off."
"Have you had these symptoms before, David?"
"Once I had something similar. God, I'm such a baby. I'm sorry to be a problem."
"No one should feel like an infant for having an illness they can't control." the doctor insisted. "So what triggered it before??"
"Being kidnapped a couple of years ago. At the time I thought my problem was from being congested. I had checked out okay at the hospital earlier."
"These symptoms can come on several hours after the actual event, or sometimes without any provocation. Can you think of anything that might have triggered them today?"
"Well, a kid tried to shoot me at school, but other than that..."
"I've been so overwhelmed with our case-load today that I didn't make the connection. You were the guy the news said was responsible for saving the associate principal, right?"
"Um, yeah, she said I did."
"Then certainly you're no baby; you, young man, are a hero. Obviously you have good reason to feel a sense of panic after the adrenalin rush subsided. I'm going to give you a pill which should help calm your system down, but I'd like you to stay overnight for observation. There are other conditions which can mimic a panic attack."
"May I stay with him?" Brock requested.
"Of course."
"Me too," Jon insisted.
The doctor looked toward Brock for confirmation and smiled as he saw the nod.
"Davy won't rest without Jon, so if there's a restriction on the number of people in his room, I'll have to wait in the lounge," Brock joked. "I know my son's priorities."
"D-a-a-d, I love you and I want you here too!"
"I know Davy. But, I also know that you need Jon. It's okay; really it is."
Despite being hooked up to heart and blood pressure monitors, Davy slept pretty well. A time or two, he awakened in the night, but fell back to sleep immediately to the sound of his father's soft snoring on the couch and the feeling of Jon's warm breath on the pillow beside him.
Originally, a nurse had fussed about having the two boys both on the narrow bed, but Brock said he would take the responsibility for it. Jon and he put the bed rails up so that neither boy would fall out. Davy lay close to one rail and Jon lay on his side with his back against the other one. Once the medication took effect completely, Davy had gone out like a candle in the wind.
In the morning, Davy felt a little hung over, but didn't have any other side effects. A different doctor came to check him out and gave him a clean bill of health. He prescribed a medication to be taken if the symptoms recurred and suggested seeing a counselor. Brock told him that arrangements would be made with Dr. Troxel as soon as possible.
Being home for lunch with his dads, brothers, and Jon, made Davy feel much better. He wanted things to be normal as soon as possible. In light of that, he called Dr. Campbell at her home in the afternoon.
"I'm sorry to bother you at home, ma'am." He began. "It probably sounds presumptuous on my part to think there might be an assembly on Monday about the shooting. I just want to head it off if there is one planned. I mean if it involves me. I want everything to be like it never happened."
"I agree with you. Dr. Prichard had considered having one in your honor, but I told him not to do it without talking to you first. I certainly don't want to be in a fishbowl either, if you know what I mean. I'll call him as soon as we hang up to ask him not to go ahead with it. I wasn't sure how you'd feel and I've been stalling about calling you. Thanks for making the first move."
"Um, it's none of my business, but do you have a support team with you?"
"Yes, I do have someone who is helping me through this. I'm sure you know who it is."
"No, ma'am, I haven't a clue," he giggled.
Davy stayed home from church on Sunday because he didn't want to face all the questions he was likely to be asked by well-meaning parishioners. He hated the idea of being in the spotlight for something that he had done without even thinking. He wasn't a hero; he'd only reacted as he'd been trained to do.
It got him thinking about how guys in combat must feel, only on a far larger scale. They did what they did to stay alive and to try to save their buddies. That's what he had done.
"Wha'cha thinkin'?" Jon asked as they lazed in their bed after breakfast.
"I can still see the cold look of hate in Percy's eyes. It was that same kind of dead expression that Markel had – like there was nothing inside but evil. It makes me think of the wraiths in `The Lord of the Rings" or something."
"Look into MY eyes and what do you see?" Jon smirked as he ran his tongue along his upper lip.
"I see love, and a trace of lust."
"Cool! You're reading me loud and clear!"
"Um, what did you have in mind, oh horny one?"
"There is gloom and dread in your body. It's like a poison, and I'm gonna suck it out of you."
"But if it's poison, how will you survive?"
"The antidote is in my saliva - a part of my immune system. I will turn the poison into a nourishing serum that will give us both a boost."
"It sound intriguing; something like that `spermpire' story we read on Nifty."
"Are you up for it?"
"I'm getting there; would you like to check?"
Jon ran his right hand down Davy's naked body and discovered that Davy was indeed UP for it. He took that as a sign he should begin the treatment.
On Monday, Davy, Jon, and Joe arrived at school rather last minute. Jim drove them because they figured they'd never find a parking place at that hour.
As they came up the main drive, Davy saw his name on the parking spot reserved for the "student of the month" which was an honor bestowed for various reasons like attendance and academic achievement. He smiled, saying he might not turn down that form of recognition.
While Davy had shunned public recognition, he welcomed the low-key attention he was getting from his peers. It was little things, like giving him a wave across the hall or a shoulder squeeze from a friend who walked by him.
At lunch, Willa and Jenna both hugged him long and hard before they sat down at the table. It seemed like the entire swim team, track team, and soccer team bumped fists with him sometime during the day. He felt a warm glow inside his chest, and didn't think he'd need any of the pills that waited for him in the nurse's office, but decided to keep taking them until the doctor released him.
Toward the end of his last class, Davy received a note from a student runner asking him to go to the coaches' office. It was signed by Cade, so he assumed it had something to do with swimming. He slipped a note to Jon asking him to meet there after class.
When he arrived, Harrison and Cade both hugged him.
"You da man!" Harrison exclaimed. "Dr. Campbell said you executed one of the most fantastic kicks she's ever witnessed. Now granted, she really didn't concentrate on judging it in that tense situation."
"It was all pretty automatic," Davy blushed.
"As it should be," Harrison agreed. "We wanted to give you our thanks privately for your act of heroism. There's another person who wants to do that too."
Coach Rapoport came in from the other room and embraced Davy in a bear hug. He had tears streaming freely down his face.
"Thank you David. I can never repay you for what you did. Frances would be dead but for you. I owe you, man!"
"Dr. Campbell and I make a great team, but I suspect she'll be teaming up with someone her own age," Davy grinned through his tears.
"You suspect correctly! This scare has moved up our plans. Life is short and we aren't going to waste any more time than absolutely necessary!
Author's notes: I heard from a larger number of readers this week! Thanks to the following: Roger L, Bill T, Ott H, Walter Sz, Tony W, Bill K, Dick W, Luke C, Wayne, JJ, Jim W, Trish R, Tom A, Vinnie, Scott W, Paul R, Paul F, Mendy D, and "Silent Reader." Your emails keep me hopeful here in the frozen tundra of Iowa.
Hope you've caught "Empath's Kiss" by Andrew Todd recently posted under high school on Nifty. It's a short story and I think you will love it.
Has anyone read, "Stubborn and Alone" in the "no sex" category on Nifty? I found it to be engrossing. I'm sure the author would like feedback.
I know that many, if not all, of you have seen the YouTube video of Joel Burns speaking before the Fort Worth, TX council meeting. It is very moving and needs to be seen by everyone in the country! It could save someone's life. There are also many other videos of interest to link to from there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ax96cghOnY4
Peace and love,
David