The Wounds Within My Heart By James
Disclaimer
If you're not of the legal age to read this story, or if you're offended by this type of material then leave now. This story may at times contain sex and romantic moments between consenting teenaged males. It also may contain scenes of Hate Speech towards people of different races, sexual orientations, disability groups and others. If you can't handle reading about that, then leave.
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Thanks to my editor K for their editing skills on this story, as well as on this chapter. Your work is always appreciated. Thank you.
The Wounds Within My Heart
Chapter Two
Pietro
At the end of that final week in October, my family and I decided to go swimming at the local pool. The weather was warm enough so that we could swim for a while at least. We figured that it would be nice to do before the weather really started cooling off, eventually getting cold. I was excited to go to the pool, and couldn't wait to get in the water. Lexy was really looking forward to it as well, and I was glad to see how excited she was!
We swam for a while, and there were several kids already there. I raced them and we all took turns swimming our laps. I won, and after about two hours in the pool, it was time to go. Everyone was getting out, and I was behind the last two kids. Everyone was really noisy as they exited the pool, and when I began climbing the steps, my foot slipped on the second step. I fell sideways, but unfortunately the water was too shallow to cushion my fall. My head slammed into the hard concrete and blackness over-took me.
I had flashes of memory. I could see myself as if down a long tunnel, and I could see the paramedics working to save me. I couldn't feel any of what was being done to me, but I could dimly see the breathing tube being placed down my throat. I could also see my body jerk convulsively when my heart stopped after a couple of minutes during the ambulance race to the hospital. I called out as they continued working on me, and I could see someone out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look, and it was Nohea.
"Nohea!" I called out. "I'm here by myself!"
His presence enveloped me, and I felt comforted as the ambulance got back to driving, once my heart was back to normal. Finally, the ambulance reached the hospital, and I blacked out once again. Throughout all that, I sensed Nohea's presence continuing to be there with me.
0000
Bryan and Amy sat by Pietro's bedside once the doctor's had him stabilized. When everyone exited the pool, none of them noticed that Pietro wasn't with them until they were about a few inches away from the door to the changing area. It was Lexy who looked around and noticed that he wasn't there. She ran back with Bryan and Amy chasing after her.
Once she got to the steps leading into the pool, she saw Pietro. He was lying face down at the bottom of the shallow end, not moving. She entered the pool, and with Bryan and Amy's help, they all three got him out of the water. Laying him flat on the ground, all three took turns performing CPR. Water gushed from Pietro's mouth, and after another minute he was breathing on his own, but it was extremely shallow. His pulse was extremely weak as well. Bryan called the ambulance, and they got him to the hospital where he was connected to a ventilator. They also ran a few brain scans, and did several other exams on him. The scans showed that there was no brain damage, and they said that it was good that they found him when they did. Another two minutes, and he would have been at best left with permanent brain damage, or at worst, he could have died.
Pietro remained in a drug-induced coma to help his body rest and recover. During that time Bryan, Amy and Lexy never left his side. They talked to him during their visits there, as well as read to him. This would help with reducing his chances of possibly developing some of the psychological symptoms some people get while being in the ICU for long periods of time.
On Monday of the following week, Pietro awoke. He was breathing on his own so they removed the breathing tube earlier that morning. Eventually as morning turned into afternoon, Pietro began to open his eyes a little after 1:00 P.M. Amy was the first to see it, and when he made eye contact with her with his grey eyes looking into her brown eyes, she smiled.
"Bryan, he's awake!" she said turning to him.
"Welcome back Pietro!" he said smiling.
He and Amy were crying tears of joy and relief as Lexy went to get the nurse who paged the doctor. Once he was examined, the doctor said that he would continue to check in on Pietro for the rest of that day and the next day. If things continued to improve, he said that Pietro could possibly go home on Wednesday of that week. They thanked the doctor, and Pietro motioned for his communication device.
0000
Pietro
Thank you all for being here by my side this whole time," I wrote as I looked at all of them. "You guys saved my life, and thank you Lexy for finding me."
"You're welcome, Pietro," she replied leaning over and hugging me.
"We're really glad you pulled through," Bryan added.
"I don't know what any of us would have done if we had lost you," Amy interjected.
I hugged Bryan, then Amy. It was good to be awake, and to have my family all around me! I felt safe, and like going forward everything would be alright.
My family did leave after another hour, and as I lay there resting, I thought over everything that happened when they were transporting me here. I knew somehow that Nohea's presence was with me. It felt as if his arms were around me holding me, and comforting me. I silently thanked him for keeping me safe through all that, then I thanked God for helping me as well. I touched the cross around my neck, and in addition to thinking of Nohea, I thought of how God was keeping me safe and watching over me. It was comforting, and I eventually fell asleep.
I ended up going home that Wednesday like the doctors figured I would. During the time I was in the hospital, our parents were busy with finalizing the move to Sangger,. They kept my room as it was though until I got back. I was going to sleep in there, and after being rested up, we would pack it up that weekend. I was glad to get a little extra rest after being released from the hospital.
Finally, that Friday came. Lexy and I were getting my stuff into boxes and while she taped up several of the packed boxes. I gathered up my clothes from the closet. I started folding shirts and pants, and then I loaded them into a few more boxes.
I did pause for a moment to see if Lexy wanted to listen to some music while we finished packing. Starting out, we had been talking while she was in there, and so didn't feel a need to have anything playing in the background.
I checked with Lexy, and she said that she was fine with whatever I put on. I selected a playlist at random. It had a lot of Classic Rock and some Metal. After putting on my music, we got back to packing.
"I'm really excited about moving to Sangger and into our new place," Lexy said after helping with taping up the second of the last box.
"I'm really excited about it as well!" I answered. "I'm sure we'll have a good time there."
"I agree," she replied.
Finally, the last box of clothes was packed, and I stood up from having leaned over, putting the last item of clothing into the box. I stood there looking around the room, then over at Lexy who was at the foot of the bed.
"Thanks for the help and for hanging out with me today," I said.
I stepped over to her and hugged her.
"You're welcome," she answered. "I always love spending time with my little brother."
"Yeah, little in name only," I responded.
I was a few inches taller by that time, and earlier that month I started noticing the first couple of hairs growing on my chin, and a little bit of hair on my upper lip. Our dad had helped me with shaving it off, and I caught on quickly with knowing how to shave my face. I was definitely growing from a boy into a man, and I liked how that was turning out for me!
"You have a point there," Lexy said laughing, and hugging me hard for a moment. "You're definitely getting bigger and you're really turning into a handsome young man."
"Thanks," I answered.
"You're welcome," she said. "I'm sure a lot of people will want to get with you whenever you get interested in dating."
"Probably so," I said blushing.
"Do you have anyone you're interested in at the moment?" she asked.
"No," I said, then immediately thought of Nohea.
"I'm guessing you're still not interested in any girls," she asked.
"No," I answered. "I'm actually interested in girls, but only as friends. I've known for over a year that I like boys. So, if I dated, it would obviously be a guy, but that's not going to be for a very long time."
"I accept you as gay, and you truly have my support," Lexy said putting an arm around me. "The boy's picture you have on your desk, that's Nohea right. I remember you mentioning him when you first came to live with us."
"Yeah, that's him in the picture," I answered.
"You must have really liked him a lot," she said.
"I did," I answered. "Unfortunately, I didn't have any way to tell him that. At least not in any sort of way he could have easily figured out."
"Would you say that you were in love with him?" she asked.
"I was deeply in love with Nohea," I replied. "I still am deeply in love with him, and I don't see that changing any time soon. I really miss him a lot. I really do."
"I'm sure you do," she said hugging me.
"I'm glad you're being as supportive and understanding about it as you are," I said. "That really means a lot."
"You're welcome," she replied. "I'm always glad to be here and supportive of you. I hope that you can find Nohea again someday."
"So do I," I answered.
A couple of days later we were getting the last few boxes moved into the new house. The furniture had been moved a few days before. We did have a couch we used during that week that we kept in the living room of the old house. That was moved out on Saturday, and after we got the bed moved into my bedroom at the new house, we had it planned so that on the next Monday, we could start staying there. I was really excited to be in my new home! I was also glad to see that my sister and our parents were just as excited to be in the new house!
After a couple of days everything was set up in the new house. Everything was put in its rightful place, and it truly felt like home now! The house had six bedrooms, and while there was a main bathroom in the back of the house, my room and our parent's rooms had bathrooms of their own. Our house had a large front porch, and in the back of the house, there was a door next to the basement. This door opened out onto a really expansive deck. There were steps on the side of the deck that, once descending them, lead to a huge back yard.
Once free of the steps, there was a large area of grass as well as a huge expansive area of trees and woods that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see! It was truly beautiful, and I felt deeply at peace when standing there looking at all of the grass and trees before me!
It was now the second week of November, and I started attending one of the schools at Sangger. It was Sangger High, and I was doing really good with making friends. I had met Evan, Collin and Brianna. Evan was 13 like me, and he was a little shorter than I was. Collin was 14 and a couple of inches taller than me. Brianna was 13 and just barely hit 5 feet. They were all three really nice, and were glad to help me, as well as to take time to get to know me. I was really glad about that last part as well!
Evan and Collin were two black guys, and Brianna was white like I was. When the four of us weren't in school, we were on the basketball court with me catching the ball whenever one of them would throw it. I would throw it back, and did my best to go after the ball. Sometimes I'd catch it, then other times because of my legs, I couldn't move quickly enough to get it in time. They fortunately didn't hold that against me. That of course was something for which I was really grateful! We played basketball in the evenings when the weather wasn't too cool. When not doing that, we would hang out at either my house, or one of theirs, depending on what was going on.
As the weather began getting colder, we began doing more things indoors. We would all sometimes go to the arcade on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Mondays and Wednesdays, we would be either at my house, or one of theirs playing video games or talking. We would also work on homework whenever we were assigned any. There were various different shows or things on YouTube we would watch and we all really enjoyed doing that!
That weekend that ended the second week of November was one where we went to my house. Evan, Collin and Brianna arrived at the house a little before 3:30 P.M. that Friday. Lexy was out getting a few supplies to mend a pair of pants that needed work done on them. Our parents were still working, so that left me at the house.
Once my friends arrived, we settled in my room and were watching a couple of music videos on YouTube. Eventually though, I took up Evan on his offer to put a playlist of various artists on. He did so, and we sat talking as the music played. Evan talked about his girlfriend Leasa and I told him that I was really happy for him.
Brianna said that she wasn't looking to date anyone at the moment, and Collin like a couple of other times, didn't have anything to add to the conversation. I told them that I hadn't found anyone yet. They didn't know I was gay, at least not yet anyway. I didn't know how quickly that was about to change though.
"I never noticed this photograph on your desk before," Brianna said looking over at where the picture of Nohea sat. "Who is he?"
I told her about Nohea, but a shortened version minus the romantic feelings.
"I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but the way you look when you talk about him it almost seems like you feel more than friendship for him," Evan said.
"You think so?" I asked.
I was amazed at how transparent I was.
"Yeah," he answered. "I mean, if you're gay or bi, I don't have a problem with it at all. I've been helping out at the LGBT Community center that's here in Sangger. I haven't been there in a few days though with everything going on at school. If you want, I could see if there are things that you could help out with there too."
"Thanks, I really appreciate that," I said. "Yeah, I am gay. Also, Nohea was the first boy I fell in love with."
"I'm sorry to hear that you guys couldn't stay together," Collin said.
"Thanks," I replied.
"You're welcome, and hopefully you can find someone special eventually," Collin went on.
"I hope so too," I answered.
We talked a little more, then after I asked if they wanted to stay for dinner, I got it set up with our parents. That was easy enough, and I was glad that they would be staying a little while longer.
Author's Notes
So now you know about what the dreams had been about that Nohea was having about Pietro. I hope you like how I handled all that. In the next chapter, you'll be getting a couple of other surprises that I think you're all going to like. I hope you enjoy when they happen. Having said all that, I hope you're all having a good evening. I'll see you all in Chapter Three.