After the death of their mother, Chris Bottoms adopted his little brother Ted, and Chris and his partner Mickey settle down to raise him. Through paperwork left by his mother, Chris learns his brother has a deeply troubled past.<br><br>During a Thanksgiving visit with Chris and Ted’s maternal grandparents, they find out Chris’s grandfather allowed his friends to abuse Ted, so Chris severs all ties with that side of his family.<br><br>Through his job at a hospital, Chris hears of a surgeon at the Mayo Clinic who has developed an ileostomy reversal technique that has proven successful in cases like his. When Chris enters the clinic for preliminary testing, he learns he is a good candidate for the procedure and schedules the first of two surgeries for the beginning of January. A visit from estranged relatives while he’s in the hospital leaves him wondering how many secrets one family can have.

Bottoms Out

CHRIS DROVE THEM to a Publix parking lot near Charley and Joe’s old apartment. There they met George and the rest of their party.


“Okay, but remember, let the police—that would be Carl and me—handle things.”


“No problem, boss man,” Chris said.


“I can’t believe you rounded up six guys, three trucks, and two trailers on such short notice,” Charley said.


“It’s a good group, and they respond when called,” Chris said. “By the way, if you get tired of painting or want to get things done more quickly, you can probably hire Zeb and Zeke to do it for you.”


“Which ones were Zeb and Zeke? I’ve met so many people in the last hour that the names are starting to blur in my head.”


Chapter 23