Although mainly looking after Dallas , Kevin had occasionally joined the men
around the fire while the younger man slept. He needed to talk to Nathan about
getting some clothes for Dallas
to work in.
As Kevin approached Nathan, he noticed one of
the twins was there but didn’t know which one
“Hi Nathan,” Kevin greeted the tailor and
smiled at the twin who was looking through a stack of shirts. “I’m Kevin by the
way. Which one are you?”
“I’m Wes.” The young man shook hands and went
back to examining the articles of clothing.
“How do you do, Kevin? Is there anything I can
do for you?” Nathan returned the greeting.
“I’ve been looking through my clothes and I’ve
found a couple of shirts and a pair of dungarees which I can do without. The
thing is, I want Dallas, the man recovering in the infirmary, to have them for
work but I’m six-foot and he’s five-foot-ten.” Kevin shrugged his shoulders,
his lazy smile lighting up his face.
“Do you require the pants to be shortened or
were you looking to have them and the shirts actually cut down to size?”
“He’s lost a lot of weight while he’s been sick, but I guess as the clothes are going to be for work it won’t matter if they’re
a bit loose. He’ll probably be putting weight back on when he’s better and I
guess the field work we’ll be doing will put some muscle on him. It’s not a
fashion show and at the moment he doesn’t really want to stand out. He is due
to be released from the infirmary tomorrow.” Kevin looked at Wes speculatively
“I guess there’s enough gossip going around about him as there is.”
Wes glanced up but didn’t respond.
“Although the majority of the men are aware of the
situation, to my knowledge very little has been spoken of it,” Nathan assured
the concerned man. He smiled and kindly suggested, “why don’t you bring me the
items you want altered and I will make every effort to have an outfit ready for
the morning. It’s the best I can offer at the moment, as there are at least
three other young men also in desperate need of more clothing.”
After Kevin had thanked the tailor and left,
Wes casually remarked, “you know, that was not really the truth; what you said just now.”
“How’s that, Wes?”
“Well, a lot has been spoken about it but in
private.”
“Aside from the first evening when Dallas was
taken to the infirmary I myself have heard only the odd comment here and there. Of course, this is a very small community and I guess there’s bound to be some talk,
so you probably have something there.”
“It was not in malice! It was just talk; it
wasn’t meant to hurt anyone!”
“Hey, it’s okay, Minx. There’s been no harm done,”
Nathan gently placed a hand on Wes’ shoulder and soothingly offered assurances.
“No one is making accusations so there is no need for you to go on the
defensive, is there?”
“No, you’re right. Anyway, I think there’s
something here we can use. Look, if you can mend the tear here, don’t you think
Dallas can wear this. It’s a work shirt, isn’t it? What do you think?”
“I think you are absolutely correct. Thank you
for noticing that.” Nathan smiled as Wes moved on to search through another
pile of clothing. He observed Wes secretly for a while, feeling suddenly proud
of the younger man. Beneath the careless and selfish attitude, Nathan caught a
glimpse of genuine kindness.
Meanwhile, Dallas opened his eyes to find he felt much
better. ‘Better being a relative term,’ he admitted to himself. He panicked
slightly when he didn’t see Kevin. During the past nightmarish week, he’d
relied on Kevin to be there for him. Dallas
admitted to himself that he’d fallen for the older man. It was a strange
feeling and Dallas wondered if this was what love felt like. Then he dismissed
the thought. He’d forgotten how to love; it had been so long since he’d either
given or received it. He angrily choked back his tears of self-pity and was
glad when Kevin reappeared and made him drink some water before urging him to
go back to sleep.
Lakota sat at his makeshift desk and began to
transcribe Yancey’s notes from the last physical he had performed.
Brodie Baker, age twenty-two, a quiet, studious
young man, though apparently somewhat accident-prone. Yancey treated him recently
for a badly bruised thumb, which he had struck with a hammer. Other than his
thumb, Brodie is in excellent health and quite fit.
‘It is Brodie’s fascination in my nurse that I
find most interesting as the young man is obviously very taken with Yancey and
flirts shamelessly with him. I can see however, that Yancey is well trained in
professional behaviour and he pretends he is unaware of the situation. To the
untrained eye Yancey appears uninterested but he doesn’t fool me. I can see the
dilated pupils and increased respiration. He is quite attracted to this lad and
I will have to see what I can do to encourage him. It would do my nurse good to
have an interest outside of his work.’ These thoughts ran through the doctor’s
mind as he updated his records.
Sensing another’s presence, Lakota glanced up
from his notes to see Raythe peering tentatively through the flap of the
infirmary tent.
“Come on in,” the doctor warmly invited.
“Raythe, right?”
“Yes, sir!” The young man nodded, keeping his
eyes averted. He had mixed feeling about being here and was slightly relieved
that the decision had been taken from him. After all, he had a problem and
embarrassing as it was, he needed medical help before it drove him insane.
“Thank you for remembering your appointment. Please
take a seat on the table, Raythe, and I’ll fetch my nurse. Yancey is just in
the other area behind this curtain. You may remove your shirt while you’re
waiting.”
Sitting as per the doctor’s instructions,
Raythe openly surveyed the small room. He had never been in a medical facility
before and discovered to his amazement that he was more curious than
frightened. He took off the article of clothing as requested and placed it
beside him, then sat absently scratching between his legs.
“Itchy, Raythe?” Lakota softly inquired, having
quietly re-entered the room without his patient noticing.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, just a bit.” Raythe quickly
removed his hand. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to deal with the problem head
on. Hoping to divert the doctor’s attention, he asked, “what all does a
physical entail?”
“Well, first I will ask you some questions so
that I can get a general history of your past and present health issues or
concerns. Then I will begin to examine you physically.” The doctor went on to
explain all the basics of the exam.
“Okay, I understand.” Raythe was far from
pleased with what was about to happen but was nevertheless resigned to the
inevitable. ‘I just want to get this over with,’ he reminded himself.
“How old are you, Raythe?” Lakota asked, making
a mental note of the man’s height and weight.
“I turned eighteen the end of January.”
“Thank you,” he softly replied, again mentally
storing the information until later.
The procedure was going along smoothly until
the young man removed his trousers to facilitate the doctor’s examination of
his patient’s genitals. It was then Lakota discovered a serious problem and
pointed it out to his nurse, who nodding knowingly.
“Do you know what you have here, Raythe?”
Getting a shy shrug in response to his inquiry, Lakota continued his line of questioning.
“Do you know what crabs are?”
“Ah, not exactly, but someone once told me they
were miserable little buggers that liked to take a bite out of your balls and
run up your ass-hole to eat it.”
Lakota hung his head and fought down his
laughter while Yancey turned away to hide the uncontrollable urge to grin.
Regaining his composure, the nurse turned back
to their patient. “How did this happen to you, Raythe?” he asked in a voice
showing concern and totally devoid of accusation.
“I’m not sure. I think it was probably when I
traded sex for a bottle of whiskey during the voyage here. I’ve been trying to
keep myself clean by striping and swimming in the ocean several times a day,
but the itching keeps returning.”
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but swimming in
the ocean will not free you from this infestation. The crabs, as they are
called, attach themselves to the course hair around your genitals and feed on
your blood. The best way we have to eradicate them is to shave off the hair in
that area and have you wash several times a day with soap and warm water,”
Lakota explained.
“Wait a minute! I don’t want to be shaved down
there! Isn’t there anything else you can do? You’re supposed to be know-it-all
medical people so what’s so hard about you coming up with another solution?”
Raythe demanded in a surly, disrespectful manner.
Both care-givers saw beyond the offensive and
churlish facade. They instinctively picked up on his fears and insecurity. They
understood this young man’s feelings of vulnerability and his need for someone
to remove the overwhelming burden of fending for himself. They also realised
how fortunate Raythe was to have survived long enough to be among those exiled.
“We’re afraid not, Raythe,” Yancey gently
answered to show his support of the doctor’s remedy. “And all your clothing and
bedding will have to be completely disinfected. You cannot use any of them
until we are sure they are insect-free.”
“And you’re expecting me to run around stark
naked for how long?” Raythe’s lip curled in disgust.
“I will lend you some of my clothing, Raythe,”
Lakota generously offered. “That way no one need know of your problem. I will
go get you a clean shirt and a pair of pants while Yancey takes care of things
here.”
Raythe blinked in surprise. No one had ever
been this kind to him, especially folks he knew were from a higher station in
society than he was.
“After we are finished here, we’ll gather
everything up to be washed and exchange your pallet and linen for new ones.”
Yancey continued to talk steadily and soothingly in an effort to take the young
man’s mind of what was being done to him. Raythe’s arms were bent across his
face but in actuality hid very little, and the nurse was saddened by the tears
of mortification rolling down their patient’s blushing cheeks as the entire
area below his waist was shaved and thoroughly cleansed with soap and warm
water.
Fifteen very long minutes later, Yancey lightly
brushed the long black hair back from Raythe’s forehead and kindly suggested
his patient lower his arms from where they had been keeping his face covered.
“We’re all done now, Raythe. Here are the clean clothes Lakota is lending you.
You may put them on while I clean up these supplies. As soon as you are
dressed, I’ll help you clear out your sleeping space in the tent you share.”
Sometime later, Lakota leaned back for a moment
as he slowly savoured his herbal tea. Sighing, he put down his cup, straightened
up and began writing out the last report of the day.
Raythe
de Torgul: age eighteen years, six feet in height and lanky; reasonably healthy
given his background.
The
doctor sadly shook his head as he allowed his imagination full reign and
pictured the hardships this very young man had had to endure. ‘Barely three months older than Galen,’ Lakota though, ‘and he has been
trying to survive on his own for far too long. A lad that age should barely be
out of his mother’s arms and to think this youngster was surviving by selling
himself.’ The good doctor sent up a silent prayer of thanks that Raythe had
survived for as long as he had. He then turned his thoughts back to the matter
at hand and continued his notes.
During the examination of this patient, one
minor concern presented itself in the form of healed rectal scaring due to extremely
rough anal sex. There was also a much more serious problem consisting of the
infestation of pubic lice known as Pediculosis. Care
included the shaving and washing of the patient’s entire pubic area and the hot
water laundering of all his clothing and bedding. Yancey was able to get the
distasteful experience accomplished swiftly, thus causing the young man as
little distress and awkwardness as possible.
Infestations are a concern that will
have to be addressed within this community. Both pubic and head lice as well as Aassarcoptes Scabiei (scabies) could easily run rampant if not kept in
check.
It was late afternoon, and with the day’s field
chores behind them, the planting team was gathering wood for that night’s
campfire and the next day’s cooking needs. The logging crew would be returning
within the hour, in time for the evening meal. The routine was comforting to
the men after weeks of upheaval and uncertainty.
Unmindful of the commotion going on around him,
Galen huddled on a log in middle of the mess hall with his chin resting on the
palms of his hands. He was brooding about what to do with the puppy that Wayne
had taken and of he himself having aided in keeping the stolen animal hidden.
He wanted so badly to tell Thomas about this miserable situation he found
himself in. ‘But I’m too afraid,’ he silently admonished himself. He sighed
with mixed feelings when Thomas entered the tent and walked over to him. He
looked up to see his mentor smiling at him.
“Why so sad, Galen?” Thomas gently asked,
squatting down next to the young man.
Getting only a shrug and seeing Galen chewing
on his lower lip, Thomas steadily pressed on. “You know, my friend, I’m always
willing to help you. Right now, it looks to me that you are in need of
something. What could that be; a helping hand or a listening ear? You have to
tell me because I can’t read your mind.” This was true, but Thomas could read
the expressions on Galen’s young, troubled face.
‘Maybe because Thomas asked, it won’t exactly
be tattling for me to tell him,’ Galen thought, and the idea slightly relieved
the burden he was carrying. “I know w-where Kelby’s p-puppy is and I w-was w-wondering
if you’d come w-with m-me to get him.”
The smile left Thomas’ face. “How do you know
where the puppy is?”
Seeing the unhappy look on the other man’s face,
Galen tentatively requested, “do you think w-we can go get the p-puppy first
and then I’ll tell you as m-much as I can?”
“Of course! How far away is it?” the older man
asked.
“It’s only about ten m-minutes away; doesn’t take
long at all,” Galen assured him, getting to his feet. He walked out of the tent
and headed toward the trees.
“Ten minutes away into the woods and you’ve
been going there how often?” Thomas asked with surprise.
“I’ve b-been coming out here a couple of times
a day for over a week now to feed the p-puppy,” Galen answered, not considering
for a moment the rule of him going into the forest and not checking with Thomas
beforehand.
Thomas decided to hold off the discussion of
Galen’s trips into the woods without informing him first. It was obvious Galen
was feeling very anxious about this and he wanted to understand the details of
how the young man became involved with this puppy in the first place.
Galen led the way along the path he and Wayne
had spent the last several days trampling down, with Thomas following closely
behind. “See?” Galen lifted the branch and pointed to the small animal sleeping
beneath it. “It’s copper-coloured just like Kelby said his w-was.”
Thomas bent down and lifted the small bundle of
fur into his hands. The puppy appeared to be healthy. “I don’t understand,
Galen, how you came to know this pup was here and why you didn’t tell Kelby
right away?” he inquired.
“I only guessed for sure the day b-before yesterday
that it’s Kelby’s and it w-was only a few days b-before then that I even knew
the p-puppy w-was here."
Thomas gave Galen a stern look. “A week is a
long time, Galen. What possible reason would you have for keeping this hidden
for that long?”
‘Oh boy, this is where it gets tricky.’ Galen
thought. He took a deep breath and gazed uncertainly into Thomas’ face. “I saw
someone taking the scraps I collect for the m-mama sows. I followed him here to
see w-why he needed them and then I p-promised not to tell anyone.”
“Who is this someone?” Thomas asked.
“I can’t tell you that,” Galen murmured and
lowered his eyes.
Thomas’ lips thinned. “You won’t tell me is
what you mean,” he said unhappily.
“It’s b-bad enough that I already told you
about the p-puppy, Thomas. I’m n-not gonna squeal on who took it.”
“I take it this person exacted a promise from
you not to say who he was. Galen, I cannot fault you for wanting to keep a
confidence, but this person has stolen that which did not belong to him and this
puppy must be returned to its rightful owner and the thief should be punished.”
“I w-want to return it, Thomas. That’s what I
w-wanted your help w-with, in case Kelby gets really angry about it. I thought
it w-was a surprise p-present for someone,” Galen explained before forlornly adding
in a small voice, “only it w-wasn’t.”
Sighing deeply, Thomas looked at the large sad
eyes beseeching him. “We’ll return the pup to Kelby now. He’ll be very relieved
I’m sure to have the dog back in his care. Then you and I are going to discuss keeping ill-considered promises and about you coming into
these woods again without talking to me first.”
Galen nodded reluctantly, gave the small creature
in Thomas’ hands a gentle pat and turned to lead the way back to camp.
They located Kelby and gave him his pet along
with an apology from Galen for not getting it back to him sooner. Kelby was so
relieved to have the missing puppy returned, he didn’t even mind Galen not
explaining how he came to be in possession of it.
Their actions did not go unnoticed. Wayne could
only stare as the scene before him unfolded. ‘The little rat tattled on me,’ he
thought. Panic immediately set in and all he could think to do was find Samuel.
“At least Kelby’s happy now,” Galen commented
as he watched the excited pet owner run off to share the good news with Quentin.
Thomas took Galen’s hand into his larger rough
one. “Let’s take a walk, Galen. We need to talk!”
“Hmmm, m-maybe I should go take care of the
livestock, Thomas.” Galen tried ineffectually to pull away.
“It can wait. This can’t, I’m afraid,” Thomas
replied, holding Galen’s hand more firmly.
Galen pressed his lips together and silently
trudged along behind the older man.
They walked in the opposite direction from the
way of the new settlement and Thomas found a small grassy clearing at the side
of the stream. He sat down and pulled the younger man down beside him.
Galen sat with his shoulders hunched and head
down. He nervously plucked blades of grass out of the ground and twisted them around
his fingers while waiting for Thomas to speak.
“Galen, I am quite unhappy with you for going
against what we discussed. You clearly promised me that you would not go off
into the woods again without talking to me first, but for a number of days you have
gone a good way into that forest with not a single word to me about it.”
“B-but I seldom w-went alone, Thomas, as I w-was
usually with someone older. I couldn’t tell you after I had p-promised not to
tell anyone.”
“As I recall, you told me you wanted the
boundaries we discussed. You also informed me that you followed this mysterious
someone into the woods the first time to see what he was doing with the scraps
you feed to the sows. You had no idea at
that point where this person was going, how far they would go into the forest or
what kind of dangerous activity they might have been engaged in, did you?”
“N-no, sir.” Galen groaned inwardly as he
gained an understanding of Thomas’ perception of what he had done. “I’m sorry,
Thomas,” he mumbled. “I didn’t stop to think of those things.”
Thomas drew a deep breath to steel himself for
what he knew he must do. “Galen, when we discussed consequences for actions,
one of the things we said was that endangering yourself was to be taken very
seriously and repeating an offence for which you have already been warned was even
more serious. I know you are sorry, lad, but I will not allow you to go on
doing things that could lead you to harm. Undo your overalls please and lower
them down.”
“P-please, can’t I have another chance?"
Galen pleaded. He remained right where he was, not at all in any hurry to
follow the other man’s directive.
“Galen, you can either undo them yourself or I’ll
do it for you,” Thomas replied firmly.
Galen’s eyes filled as he rose up and slowly undid
his overalls and let them fall to his knees. He sat back on his heels and
waited.
Thomas bit back a smile when he saw the lad was
once again not wearing underwear. He gently but firmly drew the younger man
across his lap. He’d made sure the grass was soft where the upper part of
Galen’s body lay, and he pulled the slightly shaking figure close to him with
his left arm wrapped securely around Galen’s waist. He lay his right hand on
the firm butt and then drawing it back quickly, he brought it down hard,
leaving a red outline against the pure white skin
Galen quietly cried right from the first spank,
not as much from the physical discomfort as from the emotional pain due to his
belief that Thomas was angry and disappointed with him.
“I care for you too much to allow you to come
to harm at your own doing, Galen. I hope this is a lesson you will remember!”
Thomas scolded as he rained down two dozen more slaps against the quivering
skin. Galen’s bottom was an even rosy red when Thomas stopped. He took the same
hand with which he’d punished the lad and used it to rub comforting circles on
his back.
Realising the spanking had stopped; Galen
scrambled off Thomas’ lap and rearranged his clothing while trying desperately
but unsuccessfully to get his crying under control. He sat back with his hands
folded meekly in front of him and looked around uncertainly through tear-filled
eyes, wondering what would happen next. He shifted uncomfortable as his pants
rubbed against the burning flesh.
Thomas reached for Galen’s hand and tugged him
into his arms, watchful of the sore bottom. “Shhhh. It’s over now, honey,” he
whispered softly as he held the sobbing boy. “All is forgiven.”
“You-you’re not still m-mad at m-me?” Galen
hitched, snuggling into the big man’s chest.
Thomas pulled back slightly so Galen could see
his face as he spoke. “I was never mad at you. I care about you, Galen, and I
want you to learn not to do things that could lead you to harm. I won’t say I
could never be mad at you; we’re all human and that can happen, but I will never
punish you when I’m angry. Okay? It will always be for you to learn from, not
for me to take out my anger on you.”
Galen read Thomas’ lips and saw the caring
concern in his eyes. The truth behind the words was easily recognised and
provided the assurance the young man needed. He relaxed into the
comfort offered by the strong arms tightening around him. He lost track of time
as he slowly calmed down and the fire on his backside became slightly easier to
tolerable.
Eventually, Thomas’ quietly spoken suggestion
to return and wash up for supper had the two men walking hand-in-hand back to
the campsite. They arrived just as a very angry young man burst out of the
woods on the other side of the clearing and bore down on them.
TBC….
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