Chapter 12-2
The Life As A Prisoner
Part 3
The doctor had given me something to relieve my cough and fever, and I was already starting to feel better until I was standing up. I could have sworn Dad had at least twenty prescriptions for me and Jared and somehow, I didn't think they would be cheap. Even Hank and Dotty had a long list of herbal remedies. Which did nothing to instill my confidence in them. Personally, I had more faith in Western medicine than in plants' leaves and tree roots. Yet I had promised to be a good boy and let them play nursemaid.
There was no way in hell was I going to spend weeks or even days in a hospital bed where the nurses bugged me every twenty minutes or wondering when the next needle was going be poking me. The TV sucked big time, and the boredom was like living in hell. Plus, I didn't want my Grandmother or my mother worrying about me, but something about the way my caseworker looked at me. That I was going to be seeing my mother and possibly my grandmother, or both sooner than I liked. Let's just say I chose not to bring it up, hoping that we could avoid them altogether.
My caseworker told Dad she wanted a copy of those videos, considering she had the nurse make copies of the files that Dad had in his hand, as well as the drugs I and Jared needed. I cringed, knowing he had no choice but to do it or else. She said he was walking a very thin line. That she is half tempted to rip up those adoption papers and give them back to my mother.
I said. "It wasn't his fault, and you know it. He was tricked, and we all paid the price. I rather just forget it ever happened, but Mom and Dad did everything they could do to stop it. When they discovered what Gloria and the people she was with were planning. You have seen the tapes where they were tied up and handcuffed and made to watch me and Jared as she tortured us.
"You have seen the injuries that state that my Mom and Dad were beaten just as much as I was and Jared. How many times have my father and my mother beaten me and gotten away with it? Then ask yourself, who is the better parent and the better home for me?
"One that I have to worry if my father kills me or my mother. Or the Rothwells who have shown me nothing but love over the last three years? Are they perfect? No, but I rather be living with them than with my mother. If I can't have the Fry's or the Steeds or the Downing's. The only place I have where I can find love and be loved is with the Rothwells. So don't make a choice we both will regret.
"Because I can promise you if you send me to live with my mother. I'll only run away and go back to where I feel safe. I'll be eighteen in two years or so and be out of the system where I can make my own decisions. I can guarantee it won't be staying with my mother. All I have to do is call any of my friends and either here or in Santaquin. Even as far away as the nudist colony, and they will take me in. My Mom and Dad did everything they could to prevent this. So did my mother when my father tried to kill me not once, but twice over the summer.
"Mom and Dad let it slide because it wasn't my mother's fault it was my father's. Like it is now Gloria West's fault. Even my grandmother would agree that I am better off here than at home with my mother." I cringed when I said that because I just opened a whole can of worms, but had to be said, and it was the truth.
She nodded and said. "You can plan on more frequent visits from me Mr. Rothwell. If this or anything like this happens again. No more second chances. I rather have him alive than in a pine box. Having to explain to his mother and Grandmother, who you will be calling today and telling them everything, and I mean everything. How did this happen and what do you plan to do about it?
"If I find out that you haven't called them or visited them, your cute little ass is mine. The pain you went through today will be a pleasure cruise once I get hold of you and that's not a threat that's a promise." She climbed into her car and drove off. Dad and I cringed, knowing those calls were not going to be pleasant, my Grandmother more so than my mother.
It was almost one by the time we had made it back to the Vincents place. Mom was pacing the house with worry. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw me and Jared.
Dotty said. "Let me put these boys to bed," and then looked at the time. She cringed. Said to the nurses to put Jared and me on the couch for now, while she fixes us some lunch. I saw the look on Dad's face when he saw Mom. Mom was Mom and right now she wanted answers. Jezzy too was quite upset coming home and finding us gone with only a vague note.
Mom didn't like waiting as she listened to my bad cough, but it had approved some since this morning, but it still left me coughing up a lung whenever I did more than move from one place to the other. Dotty brought over something to help and told Mom what the doctor said.
While Dad brought me and Jared in a change of clothes after throwing up all over them in the car. Dotty and the nurses helped me and Jared to remove them as she finished telling Mom and Jezzy everything that happened and what the doctor said. While she let the nurses attend to me and Jared and return to the kitchen to prepare our lunch.
Mom was silent for a very long time. Counting the bottles of pills that the doctor gave us to take. It looked like it would fill an entire medicine cabinet. I knew Mom hated the fact that herbal medicine wasn't good enough vs. the chemicals they used to make these drugs. Yet it was either this or having us die slowly by the poison that was killing us.
Mom said. "So, we are once more held hostage because of those monsters are still trying to kill my boys. We have no choice. Either we stay here or take our chance at home."
Jezzy says. "Look at this way, Karen. We have a live-in babysitter ourselves. I have extended company. We'll be fine, it's not like I don't have the room or and don't need the company. Lance and I will be more than pleased to have you and your family as our guests as long as you need to."
Mom says. "Thanks, Jezzy it's just that we can't be in two places. Always having to worry about Shawn and Arthur, and there is no way in hell I am willing to bring them here."
Dad said. "Karen, maybe it's time we consider placing Arthur into a long-term care facility and let Shawn move into one of the group homes, Where they can watch them 24/7. Right now, we can't be here and there at the same time, not with Crawford and his people trying to kill our boys. Tom and Kerry have their handful as it is until she has the baby. Even then, she wouldn't be able to stay at our house with them there under her and Tom's feet. We caused this mess, and now it's our responsibility to clean it up.
"Personally, I don't think we have a snowball chance in hell with Shawn or Arthur. It's been almost two weeks and so far, Shawn still has no interest in a woman. Twice I have found Playboy magazines of naked guys and boys in his backpack and in his room, covered in semen. No matter how many times I put him with a girl he always goes for the bare minimum. He only has sex with them if I make him do it, and it's always anal.
"The moment the girl turns around he's turned off and prefers stimulating himself looking at a guy's butt or penis inside another guy's butt, telling himself. 'Man, I like to do that all day.' And when catch him he yells, You made me this way, And grandpa was right there, is nothing like feeling a butt so prime, so tasty as another's boy's butt.' Then laughs as he pisses on me and all over his room.
"I take the strap to him, and he still does it. We can't even trust him at school. Twice he's been caught trying to rape another boy in the men's room. If wasn't for the teachers keeping an eye on him, he would have raped those boys.
"We have to be practical; we can't keep hoping he turns around and we both know we can't kill him either. He's our son and always will be. We made a promise that we would never do that to any of our boys. Unless we have no choice other than sending him away or putting him in prison. If we put him in prison, they'll kill him. I am not sure I could live with that. Sending him away would be far better than letting him be killed, but if he touches another boy or our sons one more time. I will have no choice but to either kill him or send him to prison."
Mom yells. "No Robert! I can't! He's my baby boy! Other boys have changed during their first year of the shaming ritual! I can't even consider it. Not now, not when we haven't tried everything! I think once we get Crawford put it away. Shawn and Arthur will turn themselves around not having him and his friends influence them!
"For now, we'll keep them at the group home, until this mess is cleared up, then will go back home and fix what's broken. God will help if only if we ask him to. He'll help us find the answer before we make that choice, that we must have faith. He saved our boys from dying. He'll help us save our son, Shawn. Now either help me with my boys or go home. But I am not stepping a foot out of this house without knowing my boys are safe and they are healthy enough to go home.
"You said it before, 'Home is wherever we make it.' This right now, this is our home. I would rather burn down the house than put my boys at risk. You promised me that you would see this through no matter what it takes. Now keep your promise."
Mom fled down the hall crying, and Dad said. "Dotty, I am going for a drive. Do you need anything while I am out?"
Dotty says. "Give me a minute and I'll go with you. I know how you men are when I send you to the store."
Dad said. "Fine! I have calls to make," and picked up the phone and hung up the phone and said. "Shit, I hate calling that idiot Paul Cranny." But he did anyway as he looked at me and said. "Dotty, if you wouldn't mind, I have a bad feeling that we are going to have company you may want to set the table for … damn it. I don't know―
Dads said. "Yes, this is Mr. Rothwell. I like to speak with Linda. I was told that if she wasn't home, she be with you Mrs. Cranny. Yes, all hold. Man, I hate talking to your mother and son, she so … Yes, Linda, it's me. No, not exactly … well, it's kind of hard to explain over the phone. Fine, I can do that say about an hour or so. No, it's not a problem. Yes, he's here. Give me a second."
Dad put down the phone and picked me up and placed me over his shoulder. Only to have me vomit all down his back said. "You deal with her son. She's your mother, not mine."
Peeled off his clothes, left them there, and told Dotty he'd grab a mop. I coughed as my voice cracked. "Hi Mom, no I am home sick today," I said in a coughing fit. Dotty handed me a glass of something that didn't taste like orange soda. "No, it's just the flu or something. Yes, I have been to the doctor, and we just got back, Dad thought." Cough, cough. "That I needed to check in with you. Mom, I―" I covered my mouth and vomited, having it spill all over me.
Dotty grabbed the phone from me and said. "Your son will have to call you back," and hung up the phone and yelled. "Karen, fill the tub while you are down there."
Jezzy handed me a bucket as I kept heaving. She cringed, seeing blood inside the bucket. Dotty said. "The Doctor said it was a form of rat poison, and this could happen if this keeps happening in the next few hours. He said the boy better be in a hospital bed or he'll be dead before morning."
Dotty Jump when Jeff popped in. He said. "Hi, Kid'o you have been calling me all morning. Nice to see you too, Dotty and Jared. Now get on that phone and call this number. Tell them Jeff said for you to come now, she'll know what to do. He won't be safe in the hospital, so we'll do something else. Now get to it."
Jeff gave her a number, and she hesitated and stuttered. "You're, you're real."
Jeff says. "Of course, I am … mostly."
Jeff turned to me and said. "You are not going to die on my watch kid'o, so I am going to put you to sleep and when you wake up, you'll feel like a million bucks."
He touched me on the head, and all I heard was Jezzy scream. "Robert. Get your cute little butt in here. Oh, Shit, Jared, and then there was nothing.