Also, I'm leaving on Saturday morning for a mountain climbing trip...a huge part of the trip is plane rides, car rides, etc., and I promise to take my notebook with me, and in my spare time, I will complete Ties that Bond .
Oh, yes, Mom, Dad, remember, my birthday is Thursday, and the IaHB guys are all on the top of my list!!
Also, thanks to my totally awesome BETA readers, Sweet Lil Goth Gurlie, Arcadia, and BE-A-TLE :)
Hey, and Kathryn, there's a shout out to you in chapter 5...can you find it? :D
Prologue
"MVA," Val said as they climbed into the ambulance. "18 Wheeler flipped over, and some other vehicles, a cement truck and at least 5 passenger cars, slammed into it."
A thunderstorm was raging outside, making the roads slick, and hard to see. Jamie kept a good grip on his seat as Tyler drove as fast as he could without risking the EMTs. Even still, the accident was a ways off, and it took them awhile to get there, giving each one a longer time to conjure up images of the dead.
They arrived on the scene, and the trio took off to the nearest car that no was was attending to. The scene inside was a bloody mess. Trained as they were, the EMTs had trouble looking at the morbid scene inside. Both of the passengers, whom Tyler vaguely recognized (which was to be expected, as Kingsport was a small town), were surely gone, but he felt for a pulse anyway.
None.
Tyler tried again, as he was overwhelmed with an urge to save the driver, an African American man who looked to be a bit younger than William. Tyler applied pressure to the man's chest, again and again, to try and start his still heart again.
Tyler looked down to see Val's hand over his. "He's dead," she whispered. "We're EMTs, not miracle workers. C'mon Tyler, there are live people we have to save."
After they had taken people in, Tyler wanted to stay at the hospital to offer condolences to the family of the couple, but there was a strict policy against it.
They probably had children, Tyler thought as he tossed and turned in his bead that night. They're orphans now.
Chapter 1
C.C. pulled her car in front of Hank's house. He hadn't been at school today, and she was checking up on him, just like he did when she was gone. Plus, she wanted to ask him something. Her petty cousin was throwing a banquet for her birthday, and though she was required to attend, she was allowed to bring a friend.
Of course, when she heard that, she thought of no one but Hank. In a period of weeks he had gone from the good looking football player she had no hopes of ever even making eye contact with, to the best friend she had ever had. Plus, if Hank was asked nicely, he would act as her boyfriend for the night, shocking her family as he flirted the night away with her, giving her quick kisses, the two of them laughing like lovers.
Of course, the worst thing about that was that when the night was over he would revert back to her platonic best friend.
That was the best, worst, and most confusing thing about hanging out with Hank: their relationship. C.C. sometimes didn't know what they were. Best friends, an item, or a weird combination of both. Was he attracted to her? He was so eager to play boyfriend, but did he ever want to take it for real?
God, she was so attracted to him, not that she would ever tell him that. He was good looking, funny, and best of all, he was easy to talk to, almost easier than any female friend C.C. had ever had. She longed for a real date with him, or a real kiss, not a fake one used to give her family heart attacks. Sometimes he seemed to close to asking her out, yet he had never crossed the friendship line. C.C. got out of her car and knocked on the cream colored door that opened into the one story domain he shared with his dad and step mom (even though she had never met them, for they were always working). Hank opened the door, and he looked so horrible she almost gasped.
His eyes were swollen and bloodshot, his cheeks puffy and tearstained. His shirt was the one he had been wearing the day before, only more wrinkled.
He fell into her arm, and C.C. felt a salty wetness drip onto her shirt.
"My father..." was all he said.
***
Tyler looked right and left to see if anyone was coming. He needed to look at the files from the night before, even though he knew that the rules instructed him not to get involved.
He had to see the name of the couple they had treated the night before. Their faces had been haunting him all night, and he knew that if he could find out who they were, they would leave him alone.
Tyler pulled out the file and opened it, setting it on the table. He took a drink of his Pepsi as he scanned down the mortality list.
His Pepsi fell to the floor with a dull thud, and a dark stain enveloped the ground around it. However, Tyler's eyes stayed glued to the names of the people who had died in that car.
Harold and Andrea Beecham.
Tyler couldn't believe it. He had thought the couple had looked familiar, as both had always been working, and neither one really gave a damn about Hank, Tyler had only seen Hank's guardians once or twice.
Still, Tyler knew that the death of his father must be taking it's toll on Hank. Even though they hated each other, Tyler knew what he had to do.
***
With a familiar ease, Tyler slid open the unlocked door to Hank's house. He had done it so many times, in the past that the act of doing it made him forget for a second that he and Hank were now sworn enemies, that he was breaking an unspoken taboo by being here.
Tyler looked in Hank's living room, and was unprepared for the scene being played in it. Hank was lying face down on the couch, unclothed from the waist up, with the girl he hung out with now- the crazy chick- perched on his body, massaging the muscles on Hank's shoulders and kneading the muscles of his back. She saw Tyler, and put a finger to her lips.
"Shhh," she whispered. "He just fell asleep, and since he told me he didn't get much sleep last night, I don't want to wake him."
Tyler opened his mouth to speak, but she only made a quiet motion again, and climbed off the couch. She took Tyler by the elbow, and dragged Tyler into Hank's dismal kitchen.
"Why did you come here?" She hissed.
"I found out about his dad and step mom, and it made me realize how much of an ass I've been. I came to apologize."
She looked at him, wary. "So you know about his disorder?"
"What?" Tyler questioned. "I just came to apologize for over reacting about the fight. Is he sick?"
She sighed. "When he was younger, he had a mental disorder that caused him to be alienated. It resurfaced a couple of months ago, with similar results. I don't know if he wants you to know this, so..."
"Don't go telling him?"
"Yeah." She grabbed a pen and an empty grocery list. She scribbled something on it, folded it up, and handed it to Tyler. "Research this, and then talk to Hank."
Tyler put the paper in his pocket, and didn't open it until he was in his car.
"Obessive-Compulsive Disorder."
Chapter 2
"Whaddya reading?" Jamie asked. Tyler raised the book, Kissing Doorknobs, so Jamie could read the title. After leaving Hank's that afternoon, he went to Barnes and Noble. He had one of the sales ladies look up books on Obessive-Complusive Disorder for him, and he left the store with that book, another fiction, The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing , and two non-fiction. He had decided to start on Kissing Doorknobs , as he figured a fiction would be easier to get into.
Jamie whistled. "Kissing Doorknobs? Why are you reading that?"
Tyler smiled a half smile. "C.C. recommended I read it before talking to Hank."
"You tried to talk to Hank?"
"I went to apologize. Treating his father, it just really made me realize that I've been a real ass."
Jamie sighed. "Look, if you want to know anything about OCD, I can tell you just about everything you want to know. I don't have it myself, but my brother and parents do. Anything you want to know, just ask."
***
Tyler almost just opened the door, but at the last minute changed his mind and knocked. Hank opened the door a crack, and almost slammed it, but Tyler squeezed in before he could accomplish that task. "I came to talk," Tyler explained. "To apologize. Look, I know I've been a complete and total asshole, and I'm sorry."
"You're apologizing?" Hank asked warily.
"Yeah, man. I missed having you as a friend. You were my partner in crime. How could I not?"
Hank grinned, and embraced his fairer friend. "I've missed you too," He said when they parted.
"I'm sorry about your dad," Tyler said. "I was one of the ones who treated him, and we tried, we really tried. But you know as well as I do that sometimes out hardest isn't enough."
Hank nodded. "You know as well as I do that when my dad was alive he and I didn't get along. But now that he's gone, it hurts, Tyler, it hurts like I never thought it would. We never got a chance to really talk, he never knew that deep down I loved him for taking me in when I was so shunned elsewhere. And especially now that him and Andrea died, well, I'm just sorry we had to become friends again now."
"Why now?" Tyler asked.
Hank led Tyler into his room, and pulled a framed picture out of a drawer. He tossed it at Tyler, who, of course, caught it. Tyler looked at the picture, and recognized Hank (a few years younger), but did not recognize the other 6 people in the picture.
"It's my family," Hank explained. "My mom, my sister, and my 4 brothers. They live in Arizona. And, since my dad died, so will I."
"What??"
Hank shook his head sadly. "I'm old enough to live on my own, but I have no way to support myself. I've been over it only a hundred time, and as much as I hate it, the only solution is to move back home."
"Why didn't you ever tell me you had family in Arizona?" Tyler asked.
"Shame, I guess. I moved here to get therapy, and I didn't really want to dredge up old memories. Besides, I wanted to lead a normal life. I had been somewhat of an outcast in Arizona, and I wanted to start fresh." Hank shrugged. "And I really missed my family. That's the only good thing about going home. I'll see them again, but it also means that I'll be leaving C.C., and you, and Jamie and Caitie, and Val and everybody else."
Tyler looked at his best friend sadly. They had just made amends, and now he had to go? Why was life so cruel?
Chapter 3
Hank stood at the airport terminal. The day had finally come. It was time for him to say farewell to Kingsport, and all of his friends there.
C.C., Tyler, Jamie, Caitie and Val had all come to see him off. Val and Caitie were the first two to say good bye. Val, terribly emotional, was crying her eyes out, but Caitie, always the creative one, handed him a small bound book.
"It's pictures from Kingsport," She said. "And I added in some poetry. Don't forget any of us here, you got that?"
"I promise," Hank replied.
Jamie was next. He handed Hank a slip of paper with a telephone number on it. "It's the number of my brother, Peter. He lives in New Mexico, and he's a part of a therapy group of people who have/had affected by OCD. I told him you were moving there, and he said that the group will welcome you with open arms if you want to join them."
"Thanks, man," Hank said. "I don't know how I would have survived without you."
Jamie smiled. "You would have found a way. You always do."
The hardest person to say farewell to was Tyler. "The thought that you won't be there to watch my back is hard to believe," Tyler said. "But trust me, every touchdown the Cobras make next season will be for you."
Hank gave his best friend a sad smile. "Just make sure you win the championships this year, got that?"
"No problem. Take care of yourself."
"You too."
And last was C.C. She was crying almost as hard as Val, something Hank would never think he would see. "I just can't believe that we just found each other," She said. "I never told you this, Hank, but I love you." Hank found himself suddenly uncomfortable.
"All boarding flight 452 for Phoenix, Arizona!" Yelled an attendant.
"I got to go," Hank said quickly, and ran into the plane without another word to his friends.
***
Shannen Dahera, editor of the Alexakis High newspaper's editorial page, looked at her watch impatiently. She was missing her lunch, newspaper class, and off block so she could drive 30 minutes into Phoenix to pick up her best friend Saudia's twin brother, the infamous 'Crazy Hank' Beecham, from the airport. She hadn't wanted to do it at first, as she didn't want anything to do with someone who, as the rumors said, had killed 4 people, and routinely killed and fried cats for lunch. However, Saudia has persisted (as she didn't have an off-block to pick Hank up in, and her mother had to work), laying on the guilt for all of the times that she had come through for Shannen. Besides, Saudia persuaded, Shannen would be able to interview Hank, and get lots of good information for a possible editorial.
That was what had won Shannen. Saudia had told her that Saudia's brother would be going to Alexakis High. At that, Shannen's eyes lit up. Her mind was already kicking into high gear for an editorial on safety in the school system: allowing an insane criminal to attend public school certainly wasn't safe.
The passengers began to unload, and Shannen kept an eye out for Crazy Hank. She was expecting to see someone wheeled out in wheelchair and a strait jacket, his face covered in a 'Hannibal-esque' mask. However, by the time most of the passengers had cleared out of the area, no convict had been wheeled out. She checked the flight number. Yep, this was the right one. She scanned the thin crowd remaining, and looked at the only teenage Black guy left in the terminal. He was holding up a sign reading "Are You My Reporter?" and dressed in a shirt that proudly proclaimed "Who Ya Gonna Call? Kingsport EMTs!"
Shannen approached him. "Sorry to bother you," she said. "But I'm looking for a Hank Beecham?"
He grinned. "That would be me."
She drew in a breath. Damn, he was hot. And, suprisingly, he looked totally normal. No mask, no straight jacket. But, as the cliché went, looks could be deceiving.
"Are you Saudia's friend?" He asked. "Shannen?"
"Yes," she replied. "Want to walk to my car?"
He shrugged. "Sure. I'm at your mercy until you take me home." Then he paused. "Saudia said you might me asking me some questions or something?"
"Yeah, I'm writing an editorial, and I need to interview you."
"No problem."
They walked to the baggage claim and retrieved some of his stuff (the rest was being shipped). They loaded it into the back of Shannen's car and drive off.
They drove that way for about 20 minutes. When they were ten minutes outside of Alexakis, Shannen pulled into a Taco Bell. When they sat down at a cheerfully colored salmon and guacamole colored booth, she pulled two tape recorders, a main one and another to serve as backup, out of her purse and set them down at the table. "Ready?" She asked, and Hank nodded. She simultaneously pressed both record buttons. "Interview with Hank Beecham," She said, and then turned to Hank.
"So Hank," she asked. Where exactly were you living before you came back to Alexakis?"
"I was living with my father and step-mother in Kingsport, Virginia. It was the only place where I could get therapy for my problem, and still have someone to live with."
"What was this problem you were speaking of?" She questioned.
"It's a disorder," He told her. "I'm the victim of a mental disease that somehow affects one out of every 4 Americans, a disease called Obessive-Compulsive Disorder. My having it doesn't mean I'm crazy, and it certainly doesn't mean I'm a bad psycho killer. It just means that my brain has certain fixations, things that I HAVE to do. In every person it's different, but my main thing is order. A place for everything, and everything in its' place. Also, odd things really bother me." He shrugged. "That's why I don't listen to FM radio. I had beaten it when I was in 6th grade, but I had a relapse a few months ago that I'm still dealing with."
"Why did you move back to Alexakis?"
He paused for a moment. "My father and step mother died in a car crash a few weeks ago. Living on my own is not an option at this point. I found out that if I moved back to Arizona, there is a group of people in their late teens and early 20's just across the New Mexican border who all have OCD that meet once every two weeks for group therapy. One of them is the older brother of one of my best friends. So, since I would have access to therapy, and my family was willing to take me back in, I made the decision to move home."
"How are you feeling about coming back?"
"I'm fucking terrified," He stated simply. "When I left Alexakis, one of my main concerns was that my illness would affect the popularity of my siblings. Saudia came up with the idea if they were the source of the 'Crazy Hank' rumors, that people would look up to them. So they did encourage it, and from what I heard they were respected for it. Also, my younger brothers were amused by my 'Crazy' behavior so much that whenever I came back to Alexakis I would do a 'Mad Dog' routine in public, just for fun, to keep the rumors active. Of course, the plan was great, as long as I wasn't planning on moving back. Well, now that I am, there are so many rumors that I am almost to the point of fearing for my life. Going to school scares me. If Alexakis was like Kingsport, and had two separate high schools I could go to the other one. But it doesn't, so I have to go to a place where people think I...what's the latest rumor? Eat dogs?"
"Cats."
"Yeah, well, it terrifies me. I am dreading the first day of school, because I will not fit in. Back at my old school, I was the star quarterback, and best friends with the star receiver and the head cheerleader. I was the senior EMT of an EMS squad, and I was ranked #2 in my class as far as grades went. I was probably one of the most popular guys in school. But here? I'm lower than gum on the bottom of your shoe, lower than pond scum, lower than dog crap."
The interview continued on that way for a long time. Shannen found herself at points sympathizing with Hank, and she started to realize that he wasn't like what the rumors said at all. Slowly the editorial idea in her head began to evolve. No longer was it about convicts in school, it became about not judging people on appearances. With a start, Shannen realized that that was why Saudia had her pick up Hank in the first place.
Finally, she came to the last few questions. "I know this may seem weird," She warned. "But it was on my original list of questions, and I'm going to ask you anyway so I can quote you on it. Have you ever killed anyone?"
There was a long pause, and Shannen at first thought he didn't hear her. However, he finally looked up at her, and whispered (with that looked like perhaps a glitter of tears in his eyes, but she couldn't be sure), "Yes."
"What?"
"As I've stated before, I was formerly senior EMT of an EMS squad. And let me tell you, there is not a senior EMT alive who will tell you he's never killed anyone. Every night before I go to bed, people who died in my arms because I got there too late to save them haunt me. Some of them have been children, others adults, but either way, I remember everyone who has died on my watch, and I feel responsible."
Shannen was intrigued. "Why do you do it, then?"
"The same reason I can't read the paper anymore. I was discharged from the squad right after my OCD relapse, and since them, whenever I hear about someone whose died, I feel responsible, because if I had been on duty then, maybe they would have lived. It kills me, and as soon as I beat my OCD again, I will find an EMS squad here that will take me in."
Shannen looked down at her list of questions. There it was, her last one question for him. "Do you have anything you want the population of Alexakis to know?"
'Yes. Don't judge me on who you think I am, it's all a lie. If you just go a bit deeper, you will find I am not who you think I am."
"That's it," She told him, turning off her tape recorders. "Painless, wasn't it?"
He smiled. "Quite. And I see you've gotten rid of that cold shoulder you had towards me earlier, huh?"
"Of course," she told him. "I don't think anyone who listens to you for five minutes will be able to think you're crazy."
"I appreciate it, and I wish it was that easy." He looked at his watch. "Wow, it's almost 5. I hate to ask, but could you go ahead and drive me home? I would really like to see my family."
Chapter 4
Hank swung open the door to his mother's house. Immediately he was greeted by the noises of a busy, bustling house--something he never had in Kingsport. He could hear that someone in a room directly above the front door was playing Limp Bizkit loudly. Just then, the noise of a saxophone pierced through the house, and 4 voices chorused "Moooooom!"
Hank stepped out of the landing area and into the living room. Lying sprawled across the floor, reading a novel was his sister, Saudia, and sitting at the coffee table was one of his brothers, Michael, carefully constructing a model of the sun.
"Hey," He said, and both siblings looked up.
"Hank!" They yelled in unison. As if that were the magic word, suddenly he heard "Hank!"s Being yelled from random points across the house, and 4 sets of feet coming into the living room. Before Hank knew what was happening he was suddenly the victim of a massive hug. Hank struggled to put his hands in the air.
"I surrender!" He cried.
The other 6 Beechams untangled themselves, and stood only feet away from Hank. The entire family had gather to see him. His mom was there, still in her suit from work, but with an apron over it and hair every which way. He also saw his only sister, and only older sibling, Saudia (who was only older than him by about an hour). Also gathered was 15 year old Rew (short for Andrew), the Limp Bizkit fan, dressed in baggy jeans and a loose black shirt reading 'Skateboarding is not a crime', 13 year old Alan who was every bit as interested in sports as his older brother, 12 year old Christopher, the saxophone player, and 9 year old Michael, his youngest brother, covered in glue and gold paint.
"Hank, honey, welcome home," Greeted his mother.
"I'm glad to see you all again," He told his family.
"We're glad to see you," Chorused the gang.
"I trust you had a nice ride home?" Asked Saudia with a bit of a grin. "Shannen was every bit convinced that you are a psycho, but I figured if I were to put you two in a car together, you'd warm up to each other pretty quickly."
"I think it worked," Hank admitted. "She was pretty distant at the beginning, but at the end of her interview I began to get the feeling that she and I could become friends."
Saudia smiled at her brother, and he smiled back at his family. He was worried about going to school, but he realized that even if he wasn't welcome there, here, in this house, he was really, truly, home.
***
There was a knock on Hank's bedroom that night. "Come in," He called.
The door opened to admit Saudia. "Mind?" She asked,
"No problem."
She sprawled across the foot of his bed. "Something...or several somethings...are worrying you. I can tell. So c'mon, 'fess up little bro."
"I'm only a little bit younger," Hank said absently.
"Whatever. So, what's up?"
Hank sighed. "Fine. There are a lot of things on my mind. First of all, I'm worried about school tomorrow. But most of all, I'm thinking about Kingsport." He looked at the clock. "The late shift started 10 minutes ago. Brooke would be after everyone for paperwork, Tyler and Val would be sitting on the couch, helping each other with homework and flirting with each other, and Jamie would be draped across a chair looking like he wasn't enjoying himself, even though he really couldn't stand the thought of not being an EMT." Saudia nodded. Through their many IMs, letters, and phone calls, she had heard stories of the other EMTs. "And I'm also thinking about C.C. Today, when I got on the airplane, she had told me she loved me."
Saudia smiled at her brother. "Congratulations."
Hank shook his head. "No, see I don't feel that way about her. I mean, she and I were best friends. There was no romance in it at all, at least for me. I wasn't attracted to her at all, and now I'm afraid that there might a strain in a friendship." He sighed. "It seems like I always keep stumbling into romance, but I'm never attracted to any of the girls I date." He sighed. "What's wrong with me?"
Saudia patted her brother on the back. "Don't worry. I'm sure your true love is out there somewhere."
Always the optimist, aren't you Saudia?" Hank asked.
She threw a pillow at him and they both laughed. Their laughing roused Michael, who Hank was rooming with (As Christopher and Alan were already sharing one room, and quite frankly, Hank was worried that if he even looked in Rew's room, it would be so messy that Hank would be cleaning far into his 30s).
"What are you doing?" Michael asked groggily.
"Nothing," Saudia quickly replied. "Go back to sleep."
"I'd better take your advice, too," Hank woefully told his older sister. "Big day tomorrow."
Saudia grinned. "Oh yes, I forgot. It's little Hanky's first day of school tomorrow! Do you need me to tuck you in?"
"I'm a big kid now, remember?" Hank asked.
"all right then, nighty night."
"Sleep well."
Chapter 5
"I need your transcripts," said the receptionist. Hank handed her the large stack of paper that was his information, including past report cards and former class schedules.
She looked at his name on the top of a piece of paper and paled. Hank winced. He knew that the 'Crazy Hank' rumors were huge, but he didn't know if adults believed them. Apparently they did. Oh, well. Hank had decided that whenever he came up against a rumor, he would act nonchalant (as crazy would not be the way to go).
She typed in a few things and then the printer began. "There are only about 20 students in Advanced Placement classes here, so they'll be the only ones in your core classes," she said, not making eye contact with Hank. She took a paper from the printer, and handed it to him. "That's your schedule, and here's a map, school handbook, school schedule..." she handed him a large stack of papers that he would sift through that night.
"Thank you," He said. "Is that all?"
"Yes. Classes are in 5th block right now, which means you go to your Pre-Calcalus class. That's right down the hall, in room 508."
He left the office and began his adventure to his math room. "Right down the hall" apparently meant "right down the hall, take a left, go two hallways, take a right, then turn at the bathrooms, and it's the 4th door on your left."
Finally he reached his destination. He pushed open the door, revealing a short squat man instructing a small class of students, half about to fall asleep, the other half sitting on the edge of their seats with excitement. "Hello?" He said.
The man turned from his lesson. "Yes? Are you a new student?" Hank held out his schedule. "Ah, yes. Well, welcome to Pre-Calcalus. I'm Mr. Kingsley. Welcome Mr..." he trailed off as he glanced at the top of his schedule. "Mr. Beecham, Hank Beecham." He said, and the class all suddenly drew awake.
"Bond has nothing on me," Hank said dryly.
"Well, take your seat, Mr. Beecham. There's one right over there beside Mr. Chang. Mr. Chang, raise your hand."
A boy in the 3rd row raised his hand, and Hank moved to sit next to him.
"I didn't know he was smart," whispered someone behind him.
"Wasn't Hannibal Lector a genius?" Another girl replied.
"Yes," agreed the first girl, "But I think they probably just stuck him in AP because there's less of us, and if he goes crazy and eats us..."
"No one would care because we're the geeks?" The second girl answered.
"No, I was thinking more along the lines of that the regular level classes are fuller, so there'd be less people to eat."
Hank turned around in his seat. "Look, I can hear everything you're saying. I'm not going to eat anyone, and I'd appreciate if you'd stop."
"Mr. Beecham, Ms. Busby, Ms. Christopher," interrupted Mr. Kingsley. "I'm sure whatever you all have to say is very interesting, but save it for after class."
He went back to lecturing, and Hank put his head in his hands. This was going to be a long day.
***
By the time 8th block rolled around, it was well known around the school that Hank was back. And when people discovered that, the harassing got bad. He couldn't walk down the hall without hearing whispers of "crazy" or having people throw things at him. Saudia and Shannen tried to intervene, but neither was popular enough to stop kids from tormenting him. By the time Hank met Saudia in the parking lot to go home, he was ready to pack his things and move back to Kingsport.
Unfortunately that was not an option. Hank went home and did his homework. Finally, it was 6. As it was Tuesday, the night when his OCD group met, he said good bye to his family and borrowed Saudia's car. He drove across the Arizona/New Mexico border and arrived at the meeting with about 30 minutes to spare. Oh, well, he had wanted to get there early, and now he would know that he could leave a bit later.
Hank pushed open the door to the small room where group was being held, and expected to find it empty. Instead, there were two college age students in room (which, Hank noted thankfully, was very clean), one setting up chairs, and another setting out sodas and various snack foods on a table.
"Hi!" The guy setting up the chairs said. "Are you here for group?"
"Yes," Hank told him. "I'm Hank Beecham."
He broke out into a grin. "My brother told me about you," He said, sticking out a hand. "I'm Peter Waite."
Hank opened his eyes wide. Hank wasn't quite sure what to expect in Jamie's brother, but certainly not this. Hank stood at 6 feet, and Jamie was about Hank's same height, but his brother was short. Hank had to guess that Peter was only about 5 foot two. Also, where Jamie wore all black rebellious clothes, Peter was dressed normally, in khakis and a T-shirt. Yes, Hank did note, they did have the same color hair and eyes, but Peter's hair was not spiked. And Peter just had sort of a different 'vibe' to him, more of a nice guy kinda vibe than his younger brother posessed.
Just then Hank felt himself enveloped in a hug by Peter. It startled Hank, but the other person in the room noted the look on Hank's face. "Don't mind Peter," she said, half joking half serious. "He was one of the 'can't touch for fear of germs' people when he was a kid, and now that he can touch people, he does it as much as humanly possible."
Peter let go, and the girl walked over to him. "I'm Jessica," she said. "Welcome to group. If you still have your OCD, we're gonna help you get rid of it, and if you don't then we're gonna keep it from coming back." She shrugged, and smiled. "And either way, we're gonna have some fun in the meantime."
Over the next two hours, Hank met all of the people in the group. Most were in college, like Peter and Jessica, but there were a few, like him, in high school, although no one was any younger than 16. They were also mostly people who had already recovered from OCD, but a surprising number had not, so Hank was not alone.
He decided he would like group, and in any case, it would keep him from going insane at school.
Chapter 6
"all right boys, everybody out," the track coach yelled into the locker room.
Hank put down his school newspaper and exited the locker room. Shannen's article that tried to get people to stop believing the 'Crazy Hank' rumors to stop had come out, but Hank really didn't see it helping much. He was an outcast, he always was in this town, and he always would, he had decided. Though he had gained a few friends here and there, mostly a few of Saudia's more open minded artsy friends, he could still count the people at his school who weren't out to get him on one hand.
When Hank reached the outside, he was instructed to run laps. As he did so, he watched the elementary school kids play. Alexakis was a small enough town that all of the kids, grades K-12, went to the same school. Mostly the areas were separated- high school classes in one wing, middle school in another, and elementary school in a third, but there were places where things overlapped, like how the playground was at the end of the field, wrapped around by the north end of the track.
"Hi Hank!" Yelled one of his little brothers from the playground.
"Hey Michael!" He yelled back.
Just then, a scream broke through the playground. Hank looked and saw that one of the kids had fallen off the monkey bars, and his his head pretty badly. Hank's EMT training kicked in, and he ran to the playground.
He ran to the boys' side. "Don't eat him!" He heard one little kid call, but Hank ignored him. A teacher ran to Hank and the little boy.
"Call 911!" Hank instructed the teacher.
Hank looked at the boy's head. It was bleeding fast, and he'd probably need a major amount of stitches to fix it. As it was, the boy looked like he was about to pass out. "Sit up, so that your head is above your heart. If you start to feel faint, tell me and I'll support you," Hank told him, as Hank was taking of his shirt. The boy obeyed, and Hank ripped his shirt into shreds, and began to tie them into makeshift bandages around the boys head. Other track guys had come and were standing around, watching Hank. One kneeled down by their side, the guy who Saudia had pointed out to be one of the most popular guys in the school.
"That's my little brother," he whispered. "What can I do to help?"
"Your little brother is soaking through my bandages," Hank told him. "I need you to take off your shirt, and rip it into strips. We need to try to stop the blood flow. If you can get some other guys to rip their shirts into bandages, then that would be good."
He nodded, and began carrying out Hank's instructions. By the time EMS got there, they had the little boy stable. "What happened here?" Asked the one Hank could tell, by the uniform, was the senior EMT of the squad.
"I saw him fall off the monkey bars," Hank told them. "I have EMT training, so I ran over and began to bandage his head. I think he'll probably need several stitches, but he's in pain right now, and if you have any pain killers, then I think you should get them to him."
"Right," said the senior EMT. "Derek, take vitals, Ryan, call the hospital to get clearance."
The senior EMT took a needle out of his equipment. The fourth squad member took the little boys hand. "I'm Danielle, and these are my friends Derek, Ryan, and Preston," she told him.
"Ratcher Country general, this is squad 623, we have a 9 year old male, bleeding profusely from the head, do we have clearance to give him something for the pain?"
"His name is Kirk," croaked the guy who had earlier admitted to being his brother. Danielle nodded at him, and then went back to Kirk.
"BP's 120 over 90, heart beat's steady."
"Well Kirk," Danielle soothed. "We're going to take really good care of you."
"We've got clearance," said Ryan.
"If this hurts, squeeze my hand, OK?" Danielle asked. Kirk nodded, and Preston unsheathed the pain killer. He put the needle into Kirk's arm, and almost instantly relief could be seen.
The EMTs quickly loaded Kirk into the back of the ambulance. When he was gone, Kirk's brother clapped him on the back.
"I've heard things about you, Beecham, but you know what? You're an OK guy."
Wow, that thing took me ages. Anyway, here's a sample for Demons in My Head 2: Ties that Bond Also Choke...
Jamie never really had a good relationship with his older brother. But when Jamie gets the opportunity to work at a camp with Peter, he's looking forward to getting to know him better. But what happens when Jamie finds out that the Peter he thought he knew wasn't the real Peter at all?
