Chapter 11 Together

Jeffrey walked quickly to the bedroom and over to the bed in the corner. He took the pad and pencil Tony had left under it and laid down on his bed and began to write. Bogg found him there almost an hour later.

"What're you doing?" he asked.

"Nothing," Jeff answered as he erased something on the page and continued writing.

Bogg stared at him, "okay," he finally said.

"When is the bishop coming back?" Jeff asked.

"Tuesday, I think, why?"

"No reason."

They had sandwiches for supper and then it was time for bed. Jeffrey had been doodling on that pad most of the evening, but had refused to show Phineas what he was doing. Bogg sighed and sat down on the second bed and pulled off his boots, wondering what was going through Jeffrey's mind. He stretched out on the bed and put his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes. The next thing he knew he was being shaken.

"Bogg," Jeff said again, and Phineas finally opened his eyes.

"You're pretty wide awake," he observed.

Jeff smiled, "I slept great! How about you?"

Bogg stood up and calmly picked Jeff up and turned him upside down without any warning.

"I'm fine, and you've gotta stay off that leg."

"Hey! Put me down!" Jeff demanded laughing as Bogg set him right and tousled his hair.

They were both chuckling when they sat down at the breakfast table.

"What's so funny?" Tony asked with a scowl on his face. He had obviously just arrived and was eating another warm roll.

Jeff took a deep breath and tried to keep a straight face as he answered, "inside joke".

It was Monday, and work on the building was still needed, so they headed there after the meal. Bogg smiled as he watched Jeffrey. He was walking pretty well, but it was his body language that made him smile. He seemed relaxed and happy, back to his old self. Phineas didn't know exactly what had bothered him about being in church, or what Father Ed had told him, but whatever had happened, he seemed to have worked through it.

ooOoo

They worked all morning and afternoon, with a break for lunch like usual. As they walked back to the rectory for supper, Jeffrey spoke.

"Hey Bogg?"

"Yeah?"

"Did I tell you that Tony's not very nice to me?"

"Yeah, you did."

"Know what I figured out?"

"What?"

"I think he's jealous," Jeff said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he has two parents that don't take care of him. I saw bruises on his arms... Bogg, I think they hit him."

Bogg's stomach tightened, he hated to think it was true, but he'd seen enough of life to know that where money was tight, there was likely to be violence, and Tony's clothes were in tatters, it sure looked like money was tight. "Maybe something we do will help him?" he offered, trying to comfort Jeffrey.

But, Jeff didn't seem to need comforting, he continued talking, "he's mean to me because I have you, and he's jealous. And you aren't even my dad."

Phineas put his hand on Jeffrey's shoulder as they continued on. He didn't know what to say.

Jeffrey stopped and turned to him when they reached the steps of the rectory. "It's not fair," he said and his voice broke. He looked up at Bogg and continued in a voice charged with emotion, "I've had 3 people to take care of me, and Tony hasn't even had one."

Bogg stared at him, "I don't know what to say kid, bad things happen, we both know that."

Jeff smiled and gave him a firm hug. "You don't have to say anything," he told him as he felt Bogg's arms return the embrace.