Juggler, Not Hero

Authors Note:

Here I am again with another crazy little story. Everyone is over eighteen. King Bandor edited, if any mistakes got through, they are mine. There is a bit of incest, so if that's not your thing, there are a thousand other things to read. Please remember this is totally fictional, just a little fun. Be nice in the comments please. Be nice to truck drivers, we deliver your dreams.

*****

When I was seventeen, I did something really stupid. I ran into a burning house.

I was walking home from school, I rounded this corner and there was A HOUSE ON FIRE! I knew the mom, she had baby-sat for us when I was younger. I knew the two twin girls, they were fifteen or sixteen at the time, I think. There was a baby as well.

I knew the next door neighbor, Mrs. McNally. I took a rock and having a pretty good throwing arm, I threw a strike on the front door glass on Mrs McNally's front door. THAT should get her attention! I ran into the burning house. The smoke was so thick, it was acrid, hard to breathe, and very tough to see.

I got the baby out first. In the living room, in the playpen. I drug that out too, because I had to go back. I found the twins, Cindy and Sherry, in their room. They were both terrified. I picked them up on each shoulder, and RAN. It's amazing what you can do with adrenaline in you. I got them out. I told one to watch the baby, and the other to get Mrs.McNally ( the neighbor) to call the fire department! I heard screaming from in the house! I ran like hell. I went back into the flames and smoke.

I ran inside, yelling, trying to find the mom, Ms. Upshaw. I think her name was Karen or Catherine. I found her in the kitchen, trying to fight the blaze with a kitchen towel. The stove was engulfed in ten foot flames! I grabbed her and said, "Forget it, the whole building is burning. We gotta go right NOW!" She had terror in her eyes. The flames raced us to the door.

I picked her up, she's light as as feather. I slung her over my seventeen year old shoulder. I ran out to find the firemen there. That was fast! I gently put Ms. Upshaw down. I was about to go, when I heard the bark. I'm sure as shit not gonna let the poor dog fry. I ran past the firemen, they couldn't catch me running flat out to get to the dog. Only one problem. The flames were getting much, much worse. We were cut off. We were upstairs in the hallway. The flames were too much, and the smoke was so thick! The smoke was choking me, we had to get out now! I could not see a damn thing.

What should I do? First, don't panic. We can go out the window. It's only ten, fifteen feet away. Maybe a ten or twelve foot drop. Get the dog, blanket. Pillow. I loosely wrapped me and the dog. I said a Hail Mary, dog on my chest. I ran like a suicide straight towards the window. We hit the glass square and hard. Then it was like slow motion. I held the dog as I spun in the air. I protected the dog. I hit the ground pretty hard. Damn, that felt like concrete. I heard a crunching sound. The dog was on top of me. I blacked out. The firemen saved me. You gotta love those guys.

*********

I woke up in the hospital. My back hurt really bad. I was hurting in my ribs and my shoulder. Looks like my arm was busted too. Stupid idea, trying to help. I bet nobody even knows what I did. What a dumbass I am. I shouldn't have done such a fool hardy thing.

Then my mom came rushing in. She was crying and laughing. I was gonna get it now. I waited for the parental harangue. It never came.

"There's my hero!" I looked around. Nobody else here.

"I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean to get so busted up. I just couldn't let the dog burn to death. I just couldn't. I'm so SORRY." I had no idea how much money this hospital stay was costing, but I knew it must have been a pretty penny. I had tears in my eyes, my poor parents facing bankruptcy because of my stupidity. I felt like an asshole.

My mom laughed and cried again. "Son, you saved everyone in the house, even the doggie! I'm so incredibly proud of you!" She kissed my cheek. She hugged me where there wasn't any casts. Her tears fell on my face.

My dad came in and practically kissed me. He was so proud. He said, "You are all over the news. The morning shows want to interview you. That was an incredibly brave thing you did son. The fire chief wants you to become a volunteer! He said you showed no fear, and did everything you could do to help that family. I'm so very proud of you I might burst! I love you so much son!" He was crying, but smiling. My mom couldn't stop kissing me all over. She cried too.

"Dad, I know this party has to be costing a fortune. I'll pay you and mom back someday when I get a job. I... I..." Tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Son don't worry about it. GMA wants to chat with you about saving everyone. Someone set up a go fund me account, the money has come pouring in when everyone found out what you did. There may be enough to put you through college, or at least a couple of years."

"That money should go to help the Upshaw family. I can get a job to get through school, but they have children!" I was very concerned about the young mother. How would she survive? Where would they sleep?

"Jason, you really are a hero, worried about others, when here you are, laying in a hospital bed! You make me and your dad so very proud."

"The Upshaws have insurance, they will be ok. I invited them to use your older sister's room for the twins, and Mrs Upshaw and the baby will use your room while they fix their house." My folks were very caring people.

"Everything will be fine. By the way, the twins want to marry you!" my mom was going on and on. Don't get my mom started. She talks like the energizer bunny.

"Which twin?" I asked my dad in a whisper.

"BOTH!" My dad just laughed.

*********

At seventeen years old, a hero and minor celebrity. I did get to go on GMA. I was interviewed from the hospital bed. I told them the same thing, that I was no hero.

I asked everyone who was sending money, to send it to the poor single mom raising kids by herself. The woman doing the interview cried. She said I was absolutely a bonafide hero. I said, No,I was just a dumb kid, I should'a left it to the firefighters.

I told every kid in America don't be stupid. I said I'm laying here with a broken back because I just couldn't let those children or their mom die. I heard the barking dog, and I couldn't allow that puppy to burn to death, I just couldn't.

I was weeping. I said I'd rather die than let that happen. So everyone in the sound of my voice, check your smoke detectors. Buy a couple of fire extinguishers. Don't be dumb, call the fire department and get the pros involved. I sounded like some kind of public service announcement.

The production guy said it was the best interview he'd ever worked on, he said YOU are real hero whether you care to admit it or not. I don't know why they make such a big deal about it. I feel incredibly stupid.

*********

What happens after that? I'm stuck in a hospital for many weeks because of my injuries, I was bored out of my mind. I had broken my back, seven ribs, my right leg below the knee, and my right arm. There were internal injuries and they mentioned a hairline fracture of my skull, and a concussion. Several surgeries awaited me. Aside from all that, I was just peachy. And bored out of my mind.

The high point was a clown show for all the hospitalized children. I wanted nothing to do with it. It was for the little kids. That, and multiple plaster casts made it pretty much impossible for me to see the show, thank God!

My eyes were wide open when into my room, comes a ridiculous dressed clown, to see ME! He goes through his routine. I can't even clap, I said "Thank You."

"What's the matter kid? You don't like clowns?" in a high voice.

"Nah. Just liked 'em better when I was seven. I'm seventeen. You want to make me happy? Come back when I get my casts off. Teach me how to juggle. Now that would make me HAPPY!"

"Ok kid. When do you?..."

"Talk to the nurses. They run things around here. I'm just visiting." I extended my left hand, " Thanks for trying to cheer me up. I'm ok. Just dealing with some problems, that's all. I'm sorry I'm not good company right now. You don't have to come back. I do really appreciate your time, thanks! Have a good day!" I thought this guy went out of his way to cheer me up, I should be nice.

*********

I was shocked when weeks and weeks later I was getting my casts removed, and in the physical therapy gym, there he was the clown, only... He was very definitely a SHE! How did I miss those boobs? I'm going to have the doc check my eyes. Her butt was beautiful too. My guess she was about twenty six, or twenty seven years old. Sans the creepy makeup was a very good looking tall woman.

Wanna guess who was my therapist? Talk about awkward.

"Hello, I'm Amanda O'Leary. Are you Jason Robertson?"

"Yeah that's me. Please to meet you Mrs. O'Leary!"

"It's Ms. O'Leary, but you can call me Amanda. I'm divorced, but I haven't changed the last name." She explained. "I'm going to try to help you rebuild some muscles that have atrophied. I have heard that you are quite the hero." She had exquisite hazel eyes. They sparkled! She looked right into my soul. She was quite shapely, and I had a tough time keeping my eyes from wandering to the nice parts.

I said, "I'm no hero. I'm just a dumb ass kid who did something really stupid." She looked at me with an appraising eye. She didn't say anything, just kinda figuring me out.

She does all the physical therapy. It was torture on so many levels. It hurt like hell and I sure did not want to do it. But she asked me please, and she was kind. My Achilles heel, ask me politely, and I'll do pretty much whatever you need.

On top of that, she teaches me how to juggle, at least a little bit anyway. My arm still doesn't want to work right. My muscles are pretty messed up from the casts. I can barely lift my arm, much less juggle. She did try her best to teach me.

But they say time heals all wounds, broken bones and muscles recover. I saw Amanda three, sometimes four times a week. I had just turned eighteen the week before. I had done my first push up, much to the consternation of Ms.O'Leary.

"Jason, you are going to mess up all the work we've done. Don't put pressure on that right arm."

"Ms. O'Leary, I did that push up with only my left arm, I'll show you." I put my recovering arm behind my back. I did ten more one arm pushups. I wasn't going to fuck up my own recovery. But I really needed exercise. On the plus side, I was juggling three pink balls in the air for about thirty seconds!

I was doing the stationary bike for miles every day, going nowhere fast! I used the giant rubber bands for my arm. My back still hurt now and then, but I was getting better.

In the damn hospital bed, I did hundreds of situps. I wrapped my feet around the side rails on either side, and I just did tons of situps. I would watch unbelievably stupid tv shows and do situp after situp. I also did alternate side toe touches, but I had to be careful, because of my spine.

Daily, I told the doctors I was fine. Weekly, I would get an x ray, and they check my pee. The doctors said you are not fine yet.

Apparently having blood in your pee is bad. They would do more tests. Maybe next week.I longed to be out of there. But I just kept up the program. I feel like a prisoner here. I just do whatever stupid thing they want.

They say jump, I say how high. I want out'a here! Amanda had me juggling the little pink balls for over a minute. I even had five balls in the air for about twenty seconds. I have to practice more.

**********

My folks had a little birthday party for me in my hospital room. I can't believe I'm eighteen! They were still proud as punch of their very dumb son.

They gave me many hugs and kisses. They brought wrapped birthday gifts and even a cake!

Mrs.Upshaw was there as well.

She brought the two twins, who seemed to have stars in their eyes for me, and the baby as well. She kissed me and hugged me and thanked me for saving her and her kids about a hundred times.

One of the nurses walked into the room with eighteen candles lit on the cake. I did somehow manage to blow out the candles, deep breaths are tough with broken ribs! My physical therapist Amanda showed up with a gift of a bucket of pink balls to juggle. I thanked everyone for their kindness and everyone gave me hugs and kisses on the way out, even Amanda.

**********

Amanda gradually increased the weights that I was lifting on my right side a couple of pounds a week. She would stand behind me and spot me as I lifted the weights. I felt her breasts on my back. This of course caused a firm woody! I prayed she wouldn't notice, I'd shove it down my pants leg. She didn't say anything. I'm pretty sure she noticed.

They finally let me do my first pull up. It was 85% my left arm. But hey, I was getting there! I was getting stronger by the week, and learning how to juggle. I could keep three balls in the air for a good three or four minutes.

The doctors did many tests. The blood in my piss continued unfortunately. They did more tests. What did all this testing mean? I have no idea.

On the bike, I did fifteen miles a day, stationary or no, that wasn't bad. I did another ten miles on the elliptical. Hell, if they ever let me out of here, I'll be in great shape. I had a serious six pack, my biceps were pretty good, and my shoulders were in real fine shape. If I could just stop pissing blood I'd be outa here!

I did have these little dizzy spells, that had been from day one. They said don't worry about it. Maybe I should have.

The doctor explained that when I fell, with all the crashing. Somehow, one of my testicles was injured. That was where the blood was coming from. He said they were going to fix everything. They had a brand new drug to aid in testicular recovery. I'm all for it.

They said it might affect my penis slightly. I said how? Make it slightly larger. How much larger? About three percent.

Oh for crying out loud. I doubt I'd even notice three percent. That's like less than a quarter inch.

I was spending one more week in the hospital, they were giving me this very specific drug to help heal my balls. It might have some side effects similar to testosterone, on which the drug was based. The bleeding had stopped, thank God!

Treatment would continue when I went home, as well as physical therapy. I groaned when I heard that. I was hoping the torture would end when I left. Damn!

"Jason, is there a problem with physical therapy?" The doctor asked.

"Not if you like torture. I have done everything they asked of me, but I don't have to like it. Its very painful. It sucks. But I do want to get better, so I'll do it. Just, please don't ask me to like it." I had made my feelings known.

"That's a very mature attitude. Your therapist says that you are doing great. But your right shoulder needs a ct scan or MRI. We will get you home soon Jason." He was doing his best for me, I know.

The ct scan and MRI showed a big tear in the rotator cuff. My one testicle was fine, the other needed surgery, so they did both, back to back. It sucked. I couldn't move the arm for ten to twelve weeks. My groin felt like I got kicked there by a mule. Life was back in suck mode, me with nowhere to go, and no way to get there.

No masturbating for at LEAST thirty days. THIRTY DAYS! Yikes. That seemed like an eternity. Another three weeks and I got out of there. Finally!

The testicle treatment was ok. I didn't even notice any changes in me, or the boys. But it seemed like my dick was always hard. And it sounds crazy, but I think my Johnson got a half inch longer, and a bit thicker. I know, I must be dreaming! I never heard anything about this type of treatment. Course I never jumped out a second story window either.

I did feel terrific and for fun I started pinching nurses behinds. I got slapped, giggles, the sparkle eyed, "Don't you do that!" But I could see they all got a secret kick out of a butt pinch. "You are such a bad boy!" But they had huge smiles on their faces. Hey, I'm all about the smiles.

*********

Amanda was so happy that I was finally leaving. I was going to miss this place! Amanda floored me when she asked if I would go dancing with her on Friday night! A goddess asking a mere mortal to go out? Of course I said yes.

My casts were all gone, I was running fifteen miles a day, on the treadmill, every single day, and in the afternoon, I'd use the stationary bike for another ten to fifteen miles.

One of the maintenance men heard I love karate, so three days a week, he would help me do the moves and counter moves to get me back in shape. He was a black belt. I was grateful for the help. I learned a lot.

Late on Friday, the day I'm to go out with Amanda, I'm all finished therapy, so I'm headed to my car. There was Amanda, being accosted by some guy in a mask, he had his hands all over her. I RAN to the two, they were at the back of her car. I did a super high leg kick and hit the guy square in his chest, he went down like a sack of potatoes.

Amanda was thrown sorta sideways by the impact. She hit her head on the concrete. She was out cold. "Oh, my God." I said as I rushed to her side. I'm not religious, but I prayed over her. I gathered her up in my arms and ran to the emergency room. It was only a two block run.

I told the crew what happened, and that the guy was still there. Someone called 911. I talked to the cops. They found nothing there but a drop of blood. I apologized for not bringing the bad guy to justice.

They said, " Don't worry! That high leg kick will probably have him in here soon." How did they know about the high leg kick? "It was all on surveillance cameras. You did a great job today. You might have saved her life. You really are a hero. If you don't become a fireman, please think about becoming a cop. We'd love to have you!" I was a little embarrassed.

Amanda was lucky. She had a mild concussion, and a few bumps and bruises. She had to stay overnight for observation, that's standard procedure. So our date was ruined. But I stayed with her until they kicked me out. We just talked.

I did want to show her my juggling.I had been practicing, I had five balls in the air for three minutes and at the end I held open a hat, and all five balls dropped in it. She clapped.

Before I left, she was introducing me as her hero boyfriend. She gave me a hell of a goodnight kiss. I don't know why they make such a big deal about stuff anybody would do.

*********

The next morning as I'm doing my regular run, my right leg was sore from the other day. But I just said to myself, "FUCK IT, don't be a wimp, suck it up. Probably just a muscle pull." I ran at a slower pace than normal.

I was running on the sidewalk when I heard a car. I had to jump out of the way, this white van is over the curb, headed for me! Two big guys get out, I can see one has a big military knife in his hand. They approach me, I try to stay calm, remember my training. The one with the knife makes a pass at me, as he gets close. I grab his arm, spin and pull. He's in an arm lock now. The other guy attacks, but now I have the knife, I don't have a great target but I sink it in his thigh and twist it to keep the wound open. The first guy is screaming as I've dislocated his arm. I release him and in thirty seconds the fight is over. I only got five or six good hits on each, but both will be in the hospital.

I'm incredibly lucky, or those two are inept. They could have killed me. I'm starting to believe in angels. In two minutes the cops are there! The two minutes felt like two hours. Thank God. I sat down on the curb. I felt drained. I was shaking.