Chapter 5 Book 2

Chapter 5

The Long Road Home

Part 2

My Doctor stopped in before he went home telling Mom and Dad I wasn't going home until they could break the fever for good, that he was changing my meds to oral instead of mostly I.V. drip, thinking the antibiotic was making me sick after being on it so long, but if it doesn't work within the next day or so, they will try something else. But he will increase the I.V. to keep me hydrated until they can flush it out of my system and increase my diet to compensate for the oral meds and the I.V. (Meaning I would need lots of bathroom breaks.)

Warning Dad not to work me so hard or I would never leave the hospital. They agreed to no more than twenty laps around the floor and six laps outside on the grass or around the hospital. Once my temperature comes down again and I can keep my food down. Dad shook hands as if it was a done deal. I knew he wouldn't break the deal, considering he broke contact first. Dad told Mom and my doctor that he'd taken off the rest of the week from work so he could have a chance to bond with me, like father and son.

I froze as the Doctor looked at me, seeing the terror in my eyes. Telling him that wouldn't be necessary Bishop Lanwall had already made an arrangement to watch over me. Dad was cool as a cucumber and said, "That's fine. He or Brother Nile's can help with the night duties, but I am staying here, regardless."

I knew Dad wouldn't kill me, well at least I thought he wouldn't. Not with nurses like my grandmother checking in on me every so often, and Mr. Nile's is a pretty big guy himself. The doctor finally agreed, adding his name to the meal chart and clean bedding as they had done for the rest of his family. Personally, I would hate to see the hospital bill, but I also knew the State pretty much would pay it whatever the cost. Dad asked by chance if there was a bigger room so we wouldn't feel so cramped and a bathroom with a shower or a bigger tub or something. The doctor said he would ask, asking. "If he would like a mint by his pillow and soft fluffy robe and slippers."

Dad grinned said. "I know it's not the Ritz. But it is kinda small, with such a large family."

The doctor said he would try as long as he said he just "bonding" warning him that he had child services on speed dial. Knowing it was no skateboard accident, but I had refused several times to say it wasn't. Dad nodded and told him it is and was a skateboard accident until anyone could prove it differently. Dad won the argument, considering he was right.

It's unfortunate that cell phones were not yet invented. Without video proof or pictures showing Dad and Mom did it, but since there was no actual proof, the Rothwells were in the clear. Within the hour, they moved me to a bigger room on another floor. I prayed Grandma would find me, considering I hadn't seen her for the last couple of hours. But that changed the second I settled into my new room somewhere on the second floor. While Mom and Dad were deciding what to do about family home evening. Dad ended the discussion by telling her to order pizza or go to KFC for all of us and send Kerry to the store and pick up some non-healthy snacks.

Mom paled, thinking about all that junk food. But she knew better to argue with him especially here in public. Dad told her in a calmer voice. "Karen, it's not going to kill us to eat non-healthy food once in a while, but if you are concerned about it just put together some fresh fruits and toss a quick green salad. But for heaven's sakes, our children eat a heck of a lot worse eating school lunch and hospital food and eating a quick, delicious hamburger and frozen French fries when you are not looking."

Dad picked up the phone called Shane to bring a few board games and asked if everyone's homework was done and chores and having him bring him his house slippers and PJs. While he nodded to brother Nile's telling him, they would need a couple of small tables and some folding chairs; asking him what kind of soda he liked. Dad could organize anything within an hour. By seven o'clock, I had bathed in a spacious tub that allowed me to lie down and still have plenty of room. Plus, it did double duty with a shower. And the bathroom could easily fit six people of Dad's size comfortably. If I didn't know better, I was staying in the penthouse suite.

Grandma said that the hospital had a small pool in the basement for physical therapy or for boys like me that needed a better way to cool off fast and the Doctor had arranged it so if that was the case, and I had been good. The nurses would happily throw me in it, and not to worry that nurses would make damn sure Mr. Rothwell was doing nothing but "bonding."

By seven fifteen, I had put on a pair of boxers, new shorts, and a clean pair of socks. With a nice warm blanket over my shoulders, and ready for family home evening by the time the rest of the family arrived. With tons of wonderful junk food, Grandma told my Dad that I was his favorite nurse, so they transferred her down to my new floor, in case there were questions.

Dad nodded said. "At least Eric had someone he could count on." And she informed him the Doctor had made the pool available to me to help cool me better than the tub and he or his family could use it when they are here during the day or late at night. All they had to do was tell them at the desk or pick up the phone, leaving the number near the phone. Shane said. "Bro, I love your new digs." Hearing about the pool, it might not be the Ritz, but it was close.

Shane and I were partners as we played a strange game called Mormon Life. Where you had to move your pieces by looking up scriptures the fastest and allowing you to move your pieces to the golden gates of heaven with the roll of the dice? But if you didn't find the scripture in time by the time the sand ran out, you moved your pieces backward toward the gates of hell. Shane was good, considering he had his scriptures marked with phrases. I might have read them, but didn't know them as well as everyone else's, but we still won against Jody and Kerry; brother Nile's, and Dad.

Dad ended the family game night at ten o'clock with a family prayer, letting brother Nile's take part as he helped me kneel beside him taking my hand as Shane took the other. Mom and my sisters kissed my cheek, saying goodnight to me and Dad. Brother Niles helped tidy the room as everyone left, placing the card tables and folding chairs in the corners. While Dad had a few moments alone with Mom. Shane said that after school he'll swing by for a few hours and maybe we will try out the pool, so I could have a little exercise, giving me a knuckle bump. Shawn just scowled at me, prodding Arthur along as if he were a dog on a leash. Neither of them said a single word to me as they left the room.

Dad came back and helped clean the room, picking up empty soda cans and placing the extras in the cooler for us boys during or game time. Telling us he was going to take a nice, long, hot shower. While the nurses helped me get ready for bed and gave my meds and replaced the I.V. bag and waited for me to pee so they could measure it. Personally, I thought it was disgusting. Why would anyone measure that? Gross. Watching them open the bathroom door flush it down the toilet. Dad screaming. "Hey, I am naked in here," as I and brother Nile's laughed.

It wasn't long before the meds kicked in when I fell asleep during the game but wasn't long soon after as I quickly had woken up screaming seeing my father coming at me with his belt and the cattle prod in the dark church basement. Dad was shaking me awake, but I screamed even more, seeing his face shifting from one form to another. Until the lights came on as a nurse came in, to see what the matter was. While Dad held me in his arms, telling me it was just a dream.

Dad asks Brother Niles how often this happens. Telling him nearly every night, even more so when he and his wife visit. Dad repeated. "Every night?"

Telling him. "Some nights he doesn't sleep at all unless they dope him up really good." 

Dad asked me what I was dreaming. I told him. "I recounted to my Dad the dream where he was beating me with his belt while I was locked in the church boiler-room. Sometimes I dream about when my mother tried to suffocate me. Or I dream of being kept in a cage when I was four years old; Lots of horrible things that they had done to me over and over. I even dream about you and Mom, beating me or drowning me by taking their place and shifting from one person to another. I hate dreams. I hate living each night in constant fear, so I don't sleep." I said, crying into his shoulder.

Brother Nile's pushed the button while Dad held me. Feeling my wet bed, he picked me up, wrapping a dry blanket around me; telling the night nurse that I needed a fresh bed and something to help me sleep. She said. "I forgot that he suffers from night terrors. He was already asleep, so I thought―never mind Mr. Rothwell I'll have him cleaned up and put back to bed in a jiffy."

Dad watched as they quickly cleaned me up and changed my bed, putting my soiled clothes to be washed in my own personal hamper. And gave me something stronger in my I.V. I was out like a light within ten minutes. Telling him if I woke again just push the button. Mr. Nile's was already back to sleep on a nice comfortable roll-away bed before she turned out the lights. I barely heard Dad grumble. "Every night?"

The next time I woke I had a fever. It was just nearly 5 o'clock in the morning when the nurses and brother Nile's helped me to the tub, letting Dad sleep. For us, it was nothing new. It was like a routine, having him tiptoeing in his bare feet as he opened my dresser for a clean pair of boxers. Hearing Dad say, "Not another bad dream?"

Brother Nile's saying. "No, just a fever. Go back to sleep. The nurse and I got this." But Dad was up as he came in to see if we needed any help. By then, I had cooled off and was almost dry, and brother Nile's carried me back to my bed so they could change the bandages. While another nurse was changing my I.V. and putting pills in a cup and having me drink them down with sips of ice water.

By six, I was ready for my morning stroll in my boxers around the floor. Dad followed me in his PJs as he tried to wake himself up after a long, hard night. Brother Nile's waved us on and climbed into the shower and was out by the time I made my fourth lap and joined me taking my I.V. friend making the last lap. Dad was back to sleep by the time breakfast arrived at seven-thirty smelling hot blueberry pancakes and fresh scrambled eggs and hot crisp bacon. Complete with two glasses of orange juice and a carton of milk. By eight, I was back in the tub for my second cool down with a temperature of 102.

By nine I was on my knees with brother Nile's as we said our morning prayers. And said good morning to my grandmother using her fake name. Taking my morning stats, listening to Dad yawn saying it had indeed been a long night; and waving goodbye to Brother Nile's as he placed my scriptures in my hand while housekeeping cleaned my room.

Dad watched them taking my dirty laundry to be washed. Grandma came back at nine-thirty to take me around for my third lap as Dad followed dragging his tired feet behind us. By ten o'clock, they gave me another bath, applied clean bandages, and allowed me to take a two-hour morning nap to recuperate from the night before. Then it was time for another quick stroll around the floor until 12:30. Dad yawned, nearly tripping over his feet by the time we got back lunch was ready,and with quick prayer as Dad yawned and stretched.

Grandma came back to take my stats; noting it in the chart saying 101 and climbing; asking if I would like a dip in the pool instead of the tub. I gave a big fist pump and grandma helped me into my new trunks while another nurse unhooked my I.V. Dad was about to ask, changing his mind whispering under his breath brother Nile's. Placed a Newspaper under his arm and followed us down the hall, realizing he was still in his PJs. Turning back to change his clothes; leaving me and my "nurse," as she gave him direction where to find me.

Grandma took out some love story to read while she watched me jump into the pool. Dad soon found his way in as I was swimming back and forth. Sat down and read his newspaper. Until 1: 30 pm Having Grandma remind us that the caseworker was coming at 2:30 pm Dad yawned and scratched his head, letting Grandma dry me off and help me dress in my boxers and walked me back to my room. Passing the desk to let them know I was back and ready for clean bandages. By two, Grandma had dressed me in my shorts and socks and wrapped a nice, warm blanket around my shoulders. Dad was snoring like a Clydesdale in a chair by the time my caseworker showed up with Mom right behind her.

Dad snorted a couple of times as Mom shook him awake, letting him know she was here. Standing quickly as he fumbled for his lost slipper gave up kicked the other one off and shook her hand, said. "Long night, sorry," as he tried to stifle a yawn. Grandma brought in the Doctor so he could go over my care while he and my caseworker examined me. My caseworker frowned as she listened to seeing the wounds had improved since her last visit and I was up and about, but the fever and infection remains.

Asking how long until I would be in school, frowning at hearing the doctor say. "Three maybe four weeks" frowning telling us that won't be due to miss that much school. I would never catch up. Said she would have to see about what classes I would be taking and send a private teacher to school me. Mom said she made the arrangements for me to attend Lehi Jr. High and be placed in the seventh grade with Arthur.

My caseworker lost it said. "No, Mrs. and Mr. Rothwell. There is no reason to hold the boy back two years with grades as high as his. He is practically an "A" student as with his attendants recorded. I am aware of your rules and guidelines, but that is unacceptable. One year maybe, but two; I would lose my job if I let that happen. No. You will give him a six-month period of being held back, which is only half a year, since they are on a block schedule to provide him with time to settle in. And register him for a summer school with light classes so he is ready to go next year for his freshmen year." Mom and Dad didn't like it one bit. For once, she was in my corner.

Personally, I was mad as hell, finding out that was one of the conditions. That every foster kid was held back in school the second they entered the home regardless of how smart or what their grade point average was. I could understand Arthur being held back, but me? It was just one more thing against them and one more thing I had to prove that I was not another stupid kid.

It bothered me that their kids would all go to one school, while they made foster kids like me and Arthur go to another school, as if we weren't good enough to breathe the same air. But there was nothing I could do about it. It was what it was. Mom and Dad finally agreed not liking it, but she left them no other choice. By the end of the week, they told me that a private teacher would come and provide my education until I could attend school, even though I hated the idea and the decision was made.