Sad Son Pt. 03

All talking has stopped, and all eyes are on me.

I want to be discreet, "I have a friend that wants to do some shopping and get his hair cut. I might be able to get a ride there, but he lives far away from us, so I had hoped to at least get a ride home."

Gail is first to suggest, "I can take you there on Thursday if that works."

I answer, "I will find out at school today."

*****

Today is almost a mirror of yesterday. Different women gave me blow jobs and received oral, but it's all running together. Nothing sticks out other than the actual act and that it's not like my sisters. I do meet with Mitch at lunchtime. I said I needed to use the washroom. Instead, I drop by to see Mitch. He's surprised to see me.

Mitch says, "Hey Hal. I didn't expect to see you today."

I see his mood change drastically. He knows that I know. I have no idea what I look like, but this is almost like my parents dying.

Mitch looks down, "She told you yesterday, huh?"

I nod my head yes.

Mitch says, "I guess for you it's hard what with your parents and all. I'll make sure I say hi for you when I meet them."

That's not helping.

I try to work through it, "You've done so much for me. How do I say thank you?"

He has a tear in his eye as well now.

I almost smile, "Thursday, I can get a ride to Emerson and Sons. You can meet Lauren, and if you're nice, get your hair cut by a retired porn star."

That sure perked up Mitch.

I continue, "Gail is picking me up after school. I will meet you there. Lauren will make you a stud."

The bell sounded.

I roll my eyes, "I need to run, or you might get hurt. They're very possessive."

Mitch laughs, "You're just learning, huh? I will meet you there after school."

The rest of the day went well until my last class. I heard a text message but didn't read it as that gets anyone's phone taken away. Teachers don't like distracted students.

As soon as class ends, I check my sister's text message. Reading the text almost made me sick. It wasn't from a sister. Several students look at me like I might die.

Julie is first, "What's wrong? You look sick."

I'm honest with them, "Um. Yeah. I suddenly don't feel well. Give me a minute."

I pocket my phone and drop my head on my hands. I didn't lie; I just left out a few details.

The message reads, "I have a picture of Kate kissing you full on the lips. I can ruin her career unless you meet me at her house tonight at 7:00. We're going to fuck her senseless and record it."

While I would, in fact, enjoy fucking the hell out of Kate, there is no way I let some other guy fuck her and record it. How stupid can they be? This feels like another student. I don't understand why me? Why doesn't the blackmailer just fuck her? A football player wants to take me down. Holy shit, he's planning a team gang bang.

Julie finds someone to take me home. I thank all of them with a nice kiss. As soon as I'm in the house, I call Becky.

Becky's first question is, "Are you in the hospital or in danger?"

I am surprised, but answer, "Um, no."

Becky sounds relieved, "Can I call you back? I'm with two partners right now, discussing a case."

I chill her to the bone when I reply, "Put this on speakerphone."

I hear some fumbling, and then I hear Becky say, "This is my little brother Hal, the guitar player."

I hear two "Hello."

I am nervous, "Hi Becky. I have a problem. Someone texted me at school saying: 'I have a picture of Kate kissing you full on the lips. I can ruin her career unless you meet me at her house tonight at 7:00. We're going to fuck her senseless and record it.' You know she is hot, and the football team hates me. I'm afraid they're going to gangbang her. What do I do?"

A voice tells me, "Have dinner and go tonight. We will take care of everything else. Call Becky before you get there and close your phone. She will hear it, but they won't be able to tell the call is open, being monitored, and recorded."

Another voice says, "Don't worry, Hal, we will take care of everything. Don't tell anyone about this. Do text Becky any further instructions you might get. Thank you for the call; we got your back."

Becky adds, "Kate will be fine. Don't worry a bit. I will be busy, but I WILL be there. Trust me. Thank you for calling me first. I'll talk to you later."

I am nervous, but I know Becky. Nobody is as fierce as that woman. With two partners helping, this will work out, or my life won't be worth squat.

*****

I stay up in my bedroom working on homework by myself until dinner. I announce that I need a ride at 6:30 PM. Nobody questions me. I had expected questions, wanting to know what girl I would be fucking, and a host of other mean-spirited questions. Instead, it's a quiet dinner. I don't have much of an appetite. I finish early, shower to kill time, and then wear casual clothes.

I am trembling because of the events that are likely to happen. My stomach is flipping over and making life no fun right now. I'm nervous, scared, and afraid of what Kate might have to do. She's a friendly teacher and has been a great supporter of mine long before anyone else. She had no support from the school and still befriended me. That takes some guts. I need to stay strong for her. I need to let Becky do what she can do.

What can she do? Sue them afterword? Give me an order of protection? Is blackmailing even legal? No, it can't be. I should have asked many more questions.

I hear Andrea yell up that it's 6:30. I guess she is driving me.

In the car, she finally asks, "Do you want to talk about this? You seem a bit nervous. Is this Michelle's house?" I shake my head no. "Lauren's house?" I shake my head no. "What about that hot teacher from school?"

I look at her with horror.

Andrea asks, "What's going on? That's not a look of passion. You're dreading this. Something's wrong. You tell me now, or I turn around this minute."

I yell, "NO!"

That caught her attention.

I sheepishly reply, "My teacher Kate is in trouble. Becky is already helping. I just need to get there. Then I need you to clear out, or you will endanger me. I should be fine otherwise. Becky and her bosses are busy; that's why she wasn't at dinner. They have a plan, so don't screw it up. The ice cream place should be far enough away. I will call you when I need you."

Andrea asks, "Becky and two other interns?"

I correct her, "Becky and two partners."

That eased her fears some. It sure didn't mine. I just had a flash in my mind where I walked in the door, and they shot me. That makes no sense; they're not killers, just horny football players.

I call Becky like the partner instructed and closed my phone before Andrea drops me off a few minutes early and then speeds off. As I walk up the sidewalk, four guys I know from school walk out of the house's shadows. Figures, four of the meanest guys at school. On a positive note, there are only four and not the whole team.

They don't even knock on the door; they just walk in. Kate is in the living room, on a couch, with the TV on. She's not watching it. Her eyes look haunted; they are red, like she's been crying all afternoon. She looks frail and scared. I want to hug her so bad.

Peter calls my name. I turn around just in time to catch his fist with my face. I am staggered but still standing. He wallops me in the chest, knocking me down and in pain.

Kate screams out, "STOP IT!"

Surprisingly he does. Another guy, not sure which one, kicks me in the ribs as they walk to Kate. In seconds they rip off her shirt, and she screams.

Dean shouts at her, "SHUT UP BITCH! We're all taking a turn with you, and then you're going to screw your lover boy on camera. He gets sloppy fifths of your slutty cunt. He gets to wallow around in all our cum. Then we own you. If we show the video or pictures, you'll never work another day in your life. You will be blackballed from every school in America."

They all laugh hard. Mike picks me up and hits me in the stomach this time. I almost lost my dinner.

Kate screams, "OK. Stop. Don't hurt him. I'll do anything you want. Just don't hurt him anymore."

Dean shouts out again, "Oh, we're going to keep hitting him, and you're still going to do what we want."

You know that smell of a meaty slab of BBQ ribs sitting in a smoker all day? That's good stuff. The scent of four football players twitching on the ground, defecating themselves from being shot by four high-power tasers, well, that's not quite as good. However, at that moment, I did enjoy it almost as much.

The four boys are handcuffed. A policewoman has a blanket surrounding Kate, and two EMPs are checking me over. I can't answer questions; I am still in a daze. I know this is Becky's doing. I hurt a lot, but it's my fingers that worry me. They hurt, and they're crooked. My playing days are done. The one good thing I can do, and it's taken from me.

They think I'm in pain and have broken bones or lacerated organs. I'm rushed to the hospital. Andrea is just outside the door and starts doing what she does. She's asking me questions and barking out orders. My hand is placed in an air cast, and I am given something that makes the pain go away. It also put me to sleep.

Chapter 9 -- Healing

Andrea's point of view:

Poor Hal, he got beat up once again. We might have to start home schooling. I don't like how his hand looks at all.

I tell the EMT, "Call ahead. Dr. Talos is the on-call orthopedic surgeon. I want Dr. Lakshmi Patel. Hal, the patient, is a guitar player. It looks like someone stepped on his fingers. I don't know if even she is good enough to save his ability to play, but she's the best the hospital has."

As we pull into the ER bay, they wheel Hal out quickly. Dr. Talos is there to take a quick look. He looks grim as he runs off. This isn't my hospital, but I'm with the patient, know his history, and know what I have done on the way. I rattle off the drugs I gave him and his vital signs, which are strong. I explained what happened and that he didn't say what hurt.

I'm not allowed to touch him or prescribe medicines anymore. They do keep me on hand to answer questions. They don't like his fingers either. While I have time, I tell them Hal's story. He isn't just a patient; he's a person that has had a rough life. He took this punishment to save his teacher.

I make an executive decision that I have no right to make, "I don't care what it costs; I want the best orthopedic surgeon for fingers. I will beg, cheat, and steal if needed to get the right surgeon. I'll sell the family house if needed. We're two of eight children. Our parents died in a plane crash many years ago. Hal is too good. He deserves the best. I..."

The doctor chuckles, "We get the idea, dear. Dr. Talos ran out of here. I would bet anything he's on the phone now looking for someone to perform the surgery. It needs to be done fast and the sooner, the better. We don't want those bones setting in the wrong positions."

I didn't even want to think of that. I know it's true.

Dr. Talos comes running back excitedly, "I found her! I found her! They're working on a new procedure to repair badly damaged fingers. Dr. Santana is presenting at a conference today. She will come, but only if you pay the expenses, she can use her new technique, and several of her colleagues get to assist."

The doctor says before I can reply, "I need them here now. Have them charter a jet immediately."

The doctor now looks at me, "You better call your family and friends. This is going to be a big bill. You know insurance won't cover experimental procedures. I hope he's worth it."

For five minutes, everyone in the room is huddled around the video of Hal playing. I take my phone and bring up his video doing the duet on stage in Wisconsin. I then press play and hand my phone to the doctor.

He hands me back his phone when it finishes and says, "You are in for a treat. Dr. Santana is Dr. Sherry Santa, daughter of Carlos Santana, the famous guitar player. This must be destiny."

That's the first good thing I've heard all night. I stay by Hal's side for four hours. They are prepping him for surgery; therefore, I am tossed into the waiting room where my sisters are. They were kept up to date. There's nothing I can add. I wanted to be around just in case Hal woke up. He never did, but I felt better being near him.

It seems the event made the 10:00 news. Michelle, Mitch, Lauren, and Jeremy, Lauren's cousin, are here. A gaggle of students and retired porn stars are outside. I am sure that's an odd mixture of women.

I hear Gail talking to Jeremy about fingers, I listen in. Never mind how good-looking and beautiful his eyes are, I want to know about... Hal, yeah, Hal.

Jeremy says with a frown, "For any musician, fingers are everything. Flexibility and strength help, but the natural ability to move quickly is paramount. Ok, well, mostly. Billy Joel has a nasty finger, and he can still play the piano. For a guitar player, you need all ten working and agile. Like Hal, Clapton, and Santana, some guitar players can make a guitar cry with very little speed. They bring a level of emotion I never learned.

"You remember that sad freestyle music. That had nothing in common with our duel. He was slow, methodical, and made his guitar cry like few can. Worst case, he will always be able to do that. However, there is far more money in the other type of music."

A beautiful woman interrupts us, "Can you play some of that music?"

I have my phone out and start Hal's freestyle sad music from Wisconsin. She sways to the music and has a tear in her eye.

She smiles at Jeremy, "You're wrong, by the way. Yes, people love fast riffs, but dad proved that people gravitate to good music. If it has heart and feelings, people are drawn to it.

"I am the surgeon. It will take longer because I am teaching. I expect a full recovery eventually. Six months ago, and Hal's career would have been done. Go update the crowd; they look so sad. A nurse will be out here shortly. I have an iPod I listen to in surgery. Please fill it up with everything of Hal you have. He reminds me of my dad some. I have to run, bye."

She hugs me and runs down the long corridor. I walk out to make an announcement. None of my sisters follow me.

Outside of the front doors, on the sidewalk and street, are about sixty young and middle-aged women. It's obvious who the retired porn stars are; they're breathtaking. They are older, but damn, they still look fabulous.

I have their complete attention on seeing me, and they're silent for me, "Hal, as you probably know, tried to save Kate from what I believe were young men from school. Becky said that he received a blackmail text and he called her. She called the police, and they were the ones to save the day. The four boys worked over Hal, and his fingers got broken somewhere along the way.

"I don't think I need to tell you that's bad. I can say that my heart goes out to Kate. She's an amazing young woman that cares deeply for all her students. The four boys are in jail. I personally gave Hal a pain killer and something to make him sleep. He never woke up before surgery. He doesn't need these memories.

"I had some big shot surgeons flown in to try an experimental procedure in hopes that he may play again someday. Mitch, Michelle, Lauren, and Jeremy, her cute cousin, are with us. Only Hal's sisters will provide official news updates. The surgeon said the surgery would be lengthy as she is also teaching the procedure at the same time. Because of that, I will not provide another update tonight. I will call the school tomorrow so they can announce updates. Any questions?"

The closest porn star asks me, "You had a team of surgeons flown here on a private jet. How are you paying for that?"

Shocked that she's worried about money, I stumble but answer, "That's my problem. We own a home. I'll do what I need to."

A thin little girl asks, "Will he ever play again?"

That brought tears to my eyes.

I go with honesty, "I work in an ER. When I saw his fingers, I thought he was done. The surgeon is the daughter of a famous guitar player named Carlos Santana. She says he will play again. Jeremy says fingers are critical to playing the way Hal can. He seemed less optimistic. He did say that not all musicians play fast, so even a partially disabled Hal could still make a guitar cry. It's way too early to know.

"I suggest you all go home. We appreciate you showing your support. It touches my heart to see such wonderful people caring about him. He might need some book carriers and homework writers for a while if any of you are interested or are in his classes."

The younger girls all go home. A porn star grabs my arm lightly.

She looks me in the eye, "You have no idea what it costs to charter a plane for that many people round trip, do you?"

I am surprised that she cares, "Um, no. My first concern is Hal."

She quickly follows up, "Becky is the lawyer, right?"

She is scaring me now, "How the hell do you know that? Who are you?"

They all laugh, "I am Midnight. Ok, Sara Raylor, and these are my friends. I know a thing or two about airplanes. I have had a lot of fun up in the private ones. Oh yes, good times. With that many doctors, just the charter could cost you your home. Then add the hospital bill for the surgery and then the fees for the surgeons, and you might need two houses. No way Hal can earn money for a while to pay it off, either.

"We are from SEX, Sexual Entertainer eXperts. When we heard about Hal, our group researched him. As you might guess, many men like our group, and we must be careful of the scumbags. His story came back 100% accurate. That's unusual for us. Can you believe he's never hit on us? He's eighteen! We're offended! He should be wagging his tongue and pulling down his pants at seeing us. Yet, he's a gentleman.

"People care about him. We care about him. He tried to save a wonderful woman and might be crippled for his efforts. People will donate to help. We have done this before. However, we need your permission. I would like to meet Becky, let her see the paperwork, and research us. Then we can start to help. We have quite the following. You still may lose the house, but it will help."

I ask, "Is now OK? We have many hours of boredom. We might as well start ASAP."

She says to me, "Sooner the better, while the story is hot. We will be back with posters to help with awareness to get the TV trucks out. You will see we do a lot more than cut hair. Most of us don't need to work. We need to do something to stay sane and have fun."

I say goodbye to the others and bring Sara with me. I'm holding her hand and have no idea why. Boy, won't Hal be happy to hear about this. Wait a minute, Hal has never been gaga over the retired porn stars. Why would that be? Does he think that much of his sisters? Is it Michelle or Lauren? Damn, that's some deep shit. I need to have a talk with him.

I bring Sara back, explain why, and Becky grabs a grieving room to talk. Once back with my sisters, it's time for me to have some fun. I'm going to make two women very uncomfortable being here.

After the conversation slows, I say to the group, "Mitch. I understand why you're here. You've done a lot for Hal to help him along. Jeremy, I mean, wow. That was a hell of a thing to do for Hal. He worships that guitar. I know you had fun on stage playing that song together. You obviously care for Hal a lot. Lauren, you have helped him a bunch as well. You found him a perfect look, a great haircut, and a organized a hell of a chorus line for the concert."

She blushes at the comments.

I then add pressure, "You two have a business relationship. You like his music, but you work tomorrow, and we will be up well into the morning. So, why are you here? What's your relationship with Hal?"