Our Boys

Uncle Cal Pt. 2

After he was free, Simon went to look for the boys and found Harry playing with his toys half way under his bed. Josh and Ethan were sitting at the desk in the study, valiantly attempting to do their homework, unaware that Simon was standing behind them. Simon watched as Ethan angrily flung his pencil at the wall and then leaned forward banging his forehead on the desk top several times.

Simon quickly stopped the action, putting his hands on both boys shoulders firmly, and startling Josh in the process, until Ethan's trembling stopped. Simon wondered if Josh would ever get to the point where an unexpected touch was not a threat.

"What's wrong boys?" asked Simon, although he had a very good idea. Between them they had only completed three paragraphs. They had four pages to go.

"We can't do it. It just don't make any sense." Ethan clenched his fists.

"Let me help," said Simon.

"No!" Josh pushed Simon's hand away.

Simon watched Josh's eyes widen in fear as he realised what he had done. Simon knew they were all under added stress with Cal's injury, so he held his initial reaction in check. He waited while his silence worked it's own brand of discipline on Josh.

"Uncle Cal's supposed to help us," said Josh softly, tears glistening in his eyes.

"Come 'ere," said Simon, holding out his arms. He pulled both of them into a hug, gently patting the youngsters on their back. Cal had come to visit the past few weekends and helped the boys with their homework. They had learned that Cal had some relative somewhere who had battled with dyslexia so he knew ways that would help them succeed in something they had always struggled with. He had a knack for helping Ethan and making him feel gifted rather than ashamed and he never made Josh feel stupid because he had missed so much school.

"Cal's going to be alright boys," Simon assured for what seemed like the hundredth time, "but he's not going to be able to help you with your homework this weekend." Simon watched them nod, but the heads were still bowed, shoulders slumped.

"What do you say, we put away your homework and start fresh on it tomorrow?" Simon ruffled Ethan's hair lightly. "I think I might be able to fill in for Cal until he's better. Won't be the same but between the three of us I bet you we can do it." The boys shoulders eased a little bit as the quiet words flowed through their tired brains. "Go brush your teeth and get ready for bed." They seemed reluctant to leave the hug, but pulled away and went to get changed.

"Dad?"

Simon smiled at Harry who had sidled over to him as the two left. "Yes Harry?"

"Is Uncle Cal going to dream with angels?"

The quiet words shocked Simon into silence as he struggled to find the right words to say to the worried child. That simple phrase still chilled him whenever he heard it. It was a phrase the two twelve year olds still used, and Harry seemed to have picked up on it too. Ever since the day they had found the boys in the shopping centre and Ethan told them his mum was dreaming with angels, Simon had been haunted by what might have been. If they had been so much as a few hours later, Josh could have been dreaming with angels as well. Simon shivered at the thought of how close Josh had been to dying from the infected bullet wound. He sighed. He and JJ had told the boys repeatedly over the past few days that Cal would be fine, but the middle three couldn't seem to believe it. Now they had seen him awake, albeit in pain, but they were still asking the question.

"No Harry," said Simon firmly. "Cal is going to be fine. He just needs lots of rest and time for his body to recover."

Harry fiddled with the DS in his hands. "Why did people stab Uncle Cal?"