The remainder of the meal went with much banter and teasing and in the end Conrad managed to consume half of his meal before he finally put his cutlery to the side glaring at the laughing teens before addressing his former Nanny to put off her impending lecture.
"Alicia I've eaten enough honestly. I never have a big appetite."
"See what you missed out on all these years?" the eldest teen shook his head.
"You need to eat properly."
"Mom give the guy a break," Miguel pleaded on the pale mans' behalf, he was actually afraid his mothers' over the top protectiveness might scare the visitor away.
"Yeah Mom. He's not used to you like we are."
"I'm just looking after my boy," Alicia defended herself with mock hurt as the topic of the conversation ducked his head shaking it.
"And you stop shaking your head young man," Pedros' stern fatherly voice brought all eyes to him, bar Conrads, as he looked at the boy turned man he had heard so much about, "there is nothing wrong with someone being concerned about you and just so as you know you're one of us and you always will be."
"I'd like to ask one question?" Jude spoke into the silence which had fallen as Conrad digested the words directed to him.
"Of course," Pedro nodded.
"How do I go about getting adopted?"
"Jude!" Alicia laughed as Miguel tossed a piece of bread roll at the older man.
"Hey it was worth a shot," Jude smiled glad when he saw the Resident finally looking up.
"So ye still up for that trip tomorrow?" young Conrad checked referring to their planned fishing expedition to a local swimming hole.
"You bet," the elder Conrad assured before Jude could respond for he had seen the concerned glances sent his way during the meal.
"Maybe Conrad might feel like resting tomorrow," Alicia suggested, "he's done a lot of travelling."
"Alicia I want to go. Really."
"Well in that case I'll make sandwiches and some treats."
"You sure ye can't adopt me?" Jude double checked as they stood up drawing chuckles around the table.
An hour later Conrad sat in his room as Jude offered some advice.
"You shouldn't worry too much about things. Just accept that they love you and care about you. Anything else isn't important. I know you feel uncomfortable when people share their feelings for you but you should look on it as a gift."
"You finished?"
"I could give you some morphine. Kill the pain completely," the black haired man ignored the question and turned the conversation to another issue he was concerned about.
"Don't have morphine. My DFs will do."
"Well luckily I got a prescription filled for you," the Surgeon retrieved a packaged syringe and a small ampule from his jacket pocket.
"You had that with you all night?"
"Nah. I got it from my room a few minutes ago. So will you take it?"
"I'm good thanks," Conrad got up slowly in deference to his head.
"Thought you wanted to spend some time with the boys tomorrow. Looking at you now unless you get a proper break from the pain you're not going to make it tomorrow."
"Jude aren't you sick of ........,"
"What?"
"Helping me," Conrad looked at the floor.
"Nope," the taller man made short work of unwrapping the syringe and quickly filled it before gesturing to the other mans' jeans, "come on pull them down."
"My ar .....,"
"We've had this argument before and I won. Now come on or neither of us will be 100% in the morning."
"Did I tell you you have no bedside manner," Conrad reluctantly complied and slowly lowered the jeans and his briefs.
"Probably but I rarely listen to you," Jude jibed as he quickly swiped the exposed flesh with a sterile wipe and administered the medication, "now you get some rest and I'll give you a shout in the morning when the boys get here."
****************************************
The next day dawned much too early for Conrads' liking but he was showered and dressed by the time Jude knocked on his door and after sharing a quick breakfast with the two teenagers in the hotel restaurant the quartet piled into Pedros' SUV which he had graciously handed over for the day. When the suggestion of visiting the swimming hole on Ogeechee River on Route 204 was initially voiced by Miguel the Resident had felt a sadness invade his heart for that had been one of the first places he had learnt how to be a child rather than a serious young man. Tom had brought him there one day when he had been feeling particularly down .........
Four and a half year old Conrad heard the bedroom door being unlocked and quickly hid his big illustrated book under the mattress before going over to stand by the window. He knew better than to go to the door. Hearing footsteps he turned and frowned. His father wasn't standing before him. It was Tom
"Hey Little Soldier your Dad just left," the concerned man crouched down in front of the serious boy as a cars' engine came to life outside announcing the departure of Hawkins Senior, "how are you doing?"
"Fine."
"Of course you are," Tom sighed internally not wanting the boy to think his displeasure was directed towards him, "how about we go on a cookie mission?"
"Okay," the child shrugged disinterestedly.
"Well luckily for us Alicia is just gone to the store," the middle aged man rose and held out a hand, "we might even find some milk to go with the cookies."
"Yes Sir," the boy ignored the offered hand and headed for the door trying to work out why his father hated him.
"How about a movie with our bounty? How does that sound?" Tom forced cheerfulness into his voice as they went downstairs to the kitchen.
"Okay," the boy padded into the kitchen on his stockinged feet and stood by the table.
"Are you still reading Tom Sawyer?" Tom checked as be walked over to the counter where the large cookie jar sat unguarded.
"Yes thanks. It has a lot of pictures."
"Well when you're older I'll get you the big boys' book."
"I am a big boy!"
"Well when you're a bigger big boy," Tom grinned at the childish pout, glad to see it, as he took out three large cookies decorated with blue iced smiley faces, "how about you get out the milk?"
"Can we watch Huckleberry Finn?" the child braved as he took out the cool carton carefully.
"Was about to suggest just that and then I'm going to tell you about a special place you and I are going to visit."
"Tell me!" the childs' eyes lit up in expectation.
"Well don't you want to watch the movie first?"
"Okay," the child blanked his features to hide his disappointment as he deposited the carton on the table, it didn't do to argue with grown-ups.
"Course I can tell you now! I was just teasing you," Toms' heart broke as the child hid his feelings, "there's a swimming hole off Route 204 and this time of year it's perfect for swimming and fishing so what do you say?"
"What do you mean?"
"Would you like to do some swimming and fishing?"
"I ..... I don't know how," the child bent his head to avoid the look of disappointment he knew he would see on the mans' face.
"I know that," Tom said gently as he walked over to the child, "that's why this place is special. You can learn how to swim there. And fish. It's where I learnt and I'd like to teach you if you'll let me. So what do you say? Can I teach you?"
"Hey Conrad!" a raised voice broke into the fair haired mans' memories and he found Jude, his namesake and Miguel all looking at him, the latter through the rear view mirror.
"Where did you go buddy? You were miles away," Jude chided as they drove along Route 204.
"No I wasn't," Conrad smiled as they passed the sign for the turnoff for the swimming hole of his childhood, he wasn't miles away at all.
tbc
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Perseverance (The Resident FF) by Frances51163
FanfictionConrad Hawkins has to contend with a longstanding eye problem which he tries to hide from his friends and colleagues due to his father drumming it into him as a child that illnesses and injuries are proof of weakness. His friends try to teach hi...
