Written By: LJ
Skyy’s Point of View:
I was not very happy! This was the third morning I’d got up with a toothache. It first bothered me during the trip with Dusty and kept getting worse. I couldn’t understand why it was taking so long to get better.
“Skyy, finish your breakfast, please. You’ve been late leaving for class the past two days in a row. Is something wrong? Are you feeling sick?” Den questioned me from where he was rinsing off dishes at the kitchen sink.
“No, Den. I’m okay. I’m just not hungry,” I answered and pushed my plate away.
“Well try to eat some toast and drink your milk, Sport.” I knew it was more than an off-handed suggestion.
I sat there looking at my glass for another couple of minutes. I knew the cold milk would hurt but figured I should at least give the appearance of obeying him. I took a sip and swallowed it as fast as possible.
“Owww!” I grabbed for the left side of my face as I felt the tears forming behind my eyelids.
“What’s the matter, sweetie?” Den was by my side before I could get the shooting pain under control. The big guy sure can move fast. “My tooth is hurting me.” I tried not to whine but I’m not too sure if I succeeded.
“When did that start, Skyy?” Den sounded concerned and just a little exasperated. Maybe I should have told him sooner.
“Just this past Sunday.”
“I thought you said you weren’t feeling well and wanted to sleep,” Dusty commented.
“I wasn’t feeling well ‘cause my tooth hurt,” I grumbled as I watched Den take my glass of milk over to the counter and put it in the microwave. He returned with the now warm milk and two Tylenol.
“Here, Sport, this should help. I’m going to see if I can get you into the dentist today.”
“I’ve never been to a dentist,” I confided to Dusty. I wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about the idea of going to one now.
“How come?” He seemed surprised to hear that.
“I guess I’ve never had a toothache before.”
“Well, don’t worry about it, little buddy. It’s no big deal.”
‘Yeah, right, easy for him to say!’ I thought, keeping my comments to myself.
“Skyy, you’ve got an appointment with Dr. Walter Dundass at eleven-thirty this morning. I can’t take you as I have a faculty meeting from ten o’clock until noon.” Den announced after getting off the phone.
“So I get to go by myself, right?” I was hoping I’d find a loophole and wouldn’t have to go after all.
“Wrong!” he declared, dashing any hope I had of getting out of it. “The dental clinic is in the Huntington area of town and more then ten miles from here,” Den explained. “Dusty, do you think you can get the time off to go with Skyy?”
“Sure. No problem! I’ll come home and pick you up at eleven o’clock okay, kid?”
“I guess so.” I didn’t think I had much choice and besides my tooth was killing me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
We arrived at the dentist’s office with time to spare. Dusty started to read while I sat there fidgeting. It drove him nuts.
“Settle down, Skyy.” He was getting impatient but I couldn’t help it.
“I can’t! I’m nervous ‘cause I’ve never been to a dentist before. I already told you that.”
“Well, I’ll admit I hate going to the dentist myself. Fortunately, I haven’t had to go often. It is never something to look forward to because every time seems to be worse than the last.”
That didn’t sound too encouraging, so I asked for more details. “How come?”
“Den said not to tell you. I figure you should be prepared but he said not to frighten you.”
“Come on, Dusty. At least let me know what to expect. Please!” Something warned me he wouldn’t have anything positive to say.
“Okay, but promise you won’t tell Dennis I told you.”
“I promise.”
“First they strap you down on a big chair. That’s so you won’t move around and cause the dentist’s hand to miss when he drilling.”
It sounded worst than anything I was imagining. “Drilling? For what?” I squawked. “Won’t that hurt?”
“The dentist will freeze the area before he starts to drill.” I wondered if he was trying to offer some kind of comfort with this.
“How does he do that?”
“Hmmm, maybe I shouldn’t tell you this part.”
I could tell he was having second thoughts about telling me so I pleaded. “Ah, come on. I’ve already promised not to tell on ya.”
“"Okay,” he relented, “if you’re sure you can handle it.”
“Sure I can. Honest!” As nervous as I was, I still wanted to know everything.
“He has to use a really, big needle.”
“A really, big needle?” I repeated.
“He sticks it in the side of your mouth and shoots in some novocaine. There are times when he may have to do it more than once. I know a guy who had to have three shots before it took effect. It stops hurting after a little while. The pain hardly lasts more than ten or fifteen minutes.”
“Ten or fifteen minutes?” I asked in disbelief.
“Of course, he doesn’t always use the drill. Sometimes he decides the tooth isn’t worth saving so he uses an instrument that looks like a big pair of pliers and yanks it out.”
“Big pliers? Yanks it out?” I was starting to sound like a parrot.
“Yeah, but don’t worry. It hardly bleeds at all.”
That did it!
“Bleeds?” My voice was getting squeaky and I thought I was going to be sick. “I’ve changed my mind, Dusty. I don’t really have to see this guy. Let’s just go home.”
“Sorry, kid. It’s too late now. You better buck up and face it, ‘cause we’re not leaving here until your tooth is either filled or yanked.”
There’s no way I was going to go through with all that. I decided I’d rather wait until it got better on its’ own. After all, how much longer could it take?
“Ahhh, I have to go to the bathroom, Dusty.”
“It’s down that hall and to your left, Buddy. Come right back here when you’re done.”
‘Yeah, right! In your dreams!’ I thought Dusty must be crazy if he thought I’d be returning anytime soon. “Gotcha!” I assured him, but once I was out of his sight, I located a rear door and I was outta there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was almost seven o’clock when I finally got home. It had been a long walk and I was tired and hurting. I also took it for granted that I was in some serious hot water.
No one was in the kitchen when I walked in the back door, so I went searching for Dennis. I headed for his study when I heard his voice in a one-sided conversation.
“We have no idea where he is, Dom. He left the dentist’s office without even telling Dusty he was going.” Den really sounded worried.
I stood in the doorway for several moments, watching Den anxiously pacing the floor, talking on the phone and running his fingers through his hair. I jumped when he turned to face me.
“Skyy just got here, Dom. I’ll call you later. Thanks.” Dennis hung up the phone, walked over and placed his hands on my shoulders, giving me a rough shake. “Just where the hell have you been, young man?”
My eyes filled with tears. Den never swears or yells. It was proof of how upset he had been and made me feel even more guilty for taking so long to come home. “I’m so sorry, Den,” I wailed, throwing myself into his arms. “I didn’t mean for you to get so worried.”
“Dusty and I have both been worried because neither of us knew where you were,” he softly commented, showing me more patience than I deserved as he steered me out to the living room and sat us down in our double recliner. “What happened, Skyy? Where have you been all afternoon?”
“I kinda got lost after I left the clinic. I ran down past the old jailhouse to the railway tracks, but I didn’t know I was going in the wrong direction. I walked along the tracks so Dusty wouldn’t be able to see me from the road if he came looking. It wasn’t until I reached the highway about an hour later that I realized I should have turned the other way. I had to backtrack to find my way to this end of town. I’m sorry, Den, I didn’t mean to stay away so long.”
“Why did you leave the dentist’s office in the first place, sweetie?”
I was saved from answering when Dusty burst through the front door.
“Have you heard from him yet, Den?” He came to a sudden halt when he saw me.
“Skyy, I’m so very sorry, little buddy. I didn’t mean to scare you. I was only teasing. It was a joke.” He held out his arms and I ran into them. He picked me up and swung me around. I guess Den wasn’t the only one relieved to see me. I looked over at Den’s face and not for the first time, wondered how he figured things out so quickly.
“Dustin, go find your corner in the study, please. Skyy, you must be hungry and you are probably very much in need of some pain medication.” He sure had that right!
Dennis sat me at the kitchen table with a bowl of lukewarm soup, warmed milk, and two more Tylenol. He stayed with me while I quickly finished my supper and put my dishes in the sink. Then, for a second time that evening, he pulled me down to sit on his lap.
“Skyy, I understand that you’d be uncertain about going to the dentist for the first time and I realize something must have been said to frighten you even more, but running away is never a constructive way of dealing with a problem. Is it?”
“No, but I just didn’t want to stay at the clinic,” I mumbled then made myself ask, “Are you going to spank me?”
“Not this time but you will have lines to write so hopefully it will not happen again. We’ll talk about tomorrow’s plans in the morning.”
It wasn’t the best news I’d had today but it could have been worse. I turned in his lap until I was straddling his legs and able to look into his face. “Okay, I guess I can do that.” I didn’t want to push my luck as I figured I’d gotten off lightly. Then I remembered hearing him say ‘tomorrow’. “What’s going to happen tomorrow?”
“I’ve been able to make another appointment for you at nine o’clock in the morning and in order to avoid a repeat of today’s performance I will be taking you myself.”
‘Nuts!’ I muttered to myself. “But I don’t want to go, Den,” I murmured, leaning my head against his shoulder.
“I’m taking that choice away from you, little one. We are going camping this weekend, remember? You don’t want to be suffering with a toothache, do you?”
“Nooo! I’m looking forward to camping out but I’m still nervous about going to the dentist.”
He gently pushed me up so he could see my face and asked, “Skyy, do you trust me to know what’s best for you?”
I looked into his eyes. I did trust him. I knew I could always depend on him to do what was best for me. It’s just one of the reasons why I loved him. I nodded as I strongly insisted, “I do trust you, Den!”
“Thank you, sweetheart. Right now I’d like you to go upstairs and have a nice long soak. Dusty and I will be up after we’ve had our discussion. I think we can all do with an early night.”
I relaxed as much as I could in a bathtub of hot water and waited for Den to come get me when it was time to go to bed. I had the radio turned up full blast because I did not want to hear what was going on in the study. It seemed to take forever for Dennis to come in and tell me it was time to get out of the tub.
“Come on in,” I invited with hopes of staying up later with him.
“If you stay there any longer, Sport, you’re going to turn into a prune,” he said as he pulled the plug.
“Too late!” I smirked and showed him my hands.
He reached down and hauled me out to stand on the bathmat while he rinsed out the bathtub and I made a half-hearted effort at drying myself. He checked to see if I had done a proper job before making me do it again. “Step closer to the towel, Skyy. It won’t bite.” Sometimes the big guy thinks he’s so funny.
After brushing my teeth, I crawled into bed beside Dusty and snuggled up to him. I don’t even remember Dennis joining us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
My tooth was still causing me so much pain come morning; I couldn’t concentrate of my schoolwork. I had gotten up at my usual time with plans to try and catch up on the lessons I had missed lately. It was a lost cause. I woke Den up to ask if I could have a couple of painkillers. He decided to stay up with me so we’d have time to cuddle and talk about what would be happening today.
“You’ll be seen by Dr. Stephen Dundass this morning, Skyy. Dr. Walter Dundass was over-booked and wouldn’t have time to see you so the receptionist is getting you in to see his brother.”
“Is one as good as the other?”
“Yes, they’re both very competent but they work in slightly different fields. Stephen usually hands his patients over to his brother when they turn sixteen. Stephen is in pediatric-dentistry while Walter provides dental care for adults.”
“But I’m an adult!” I really didn’t care for the idea of seeing a kid’s dentist. Actually, I wasn’t looking forward to seeing any dentist.
“Yes, but this is an emergency case and they are really doing us a favour. After this visit you’ll be seen by Walter just like Dusty and I are.”
“At this point I don’t care ‘cause I just want to get it over with.”
“Hey, everything is going to be fine, Sport,” he assured me as he used the remote control to turn on one of our favourite CD’s. Sometime later we heard our other partner moving about upstairs so we went through to the kitchen to get our day started. Den put the coffee on and began breakfast preparations while I pack a lunch for Dusty.
“I bet you’ll be glad to get rid of that toothache, eh Skyy?” Dusty said between mouthfuls of cereal.
“Yeah! Den says I’m going to be seen by Dr. Stephen.”
“I met him a couple of times and he seems very nice. You do know those things I told you about yesterday weren’t true, don’t you, Buddy?” I could tell by the way he kept shifting around that his butt was still sore.
“Huh-huh. I understand now that you were only teasing even if I didn’t know it at the time. It’s okay.”
“Do you have any other plans for the day?”
“Yeah, Den says he’ll drop me off at school on the way back from the dentist. I’ll only miss my first class and maybe a bit of the second one. Then I’ll be going to my job at the Farmer’s Market from noon until five o’clock.”
“It’s going to be okay,” he said, trying to make me feel better. It didn’t work. “I’ll be a little late myself today because I’m getting my hair cut so I’ll see you later, kid.” He shoved his chair back from the table.
“I’ll also be later than usual this evening as I have to take The Beast in for its’ annual inspection. I have an appointment at the GM dealership for four-thirty,” Den told us, making us laugh. Dusty had long ago named Dennis' vehicles ‘Beauty’ and ‘The Beast’ when referring to the big guy’s ‘67 Mustang and his family’s ‘98 Hummer.
Dusty laughed as he kissed both of us goodbye, grabbed his lunch box and left for work.
One hour later Dennis and I were sitting in the waiting room when I nudged him to get his attention. “Look at that guy over there. Where do you suppose he got those neat stickers on his jacket?”
Looking up, Dennis explained that they were the stickers the dentist gave to the kids and he said he wouldn’t even try to guess why an older man would have any.
The receptionist called my name a few minutes later and at my request, Dennis accompanied me to get an x-ray and then to the treatment room. It was rather neat in there. I only had to lay back and watch the television set in the ceiling. I certainly didn’t care for the taste of the stuff the dentist rubbed on my gums and the inside of my cheek and the gloves he was wearing tasted even worse. I wonder if anyone has ever told him rubber comes in a variety of flavours.
Just as a bear on the TV caught my eye, Dr. Stephen said something about me feeling a ‘pinch’. Who was he kidding? It freakin’ hurt! I squeezed my eyes shut, held my breath and grabbed for Den’s hand while I waited for the stuff to work.
“I’m going to look at the pictures and I’ll be back in a few minutes.” I heard the dentist speaking to Dennis as if I wasn’t even there. By the time he returned I had lost interest in The Bear in the Big Blue House. Fortunately, Dr. Stephen wore glasses so I was able to see my reflection and watch what he was doing. Of course, it worked better to pretend it was someone else’s mouth he was messing with.
I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, Den was shaking me and telling me it was all over. Dr. Stephen spent a few more minutes talking to Dennis and then his dental assistant gave me a new toothbrush and a miniature box of dental floss. I pretended to be completely engrossed in her demonstration on how to floss properly. I happily accepted the colourful stickers she handed me, thanked her and walked out to the front desk with Dennis.
While waiting for Den to take care of the bill, I used my finger to see if my tooth felt any different. Hmmm, the entire left side of my face was still numb.
“How do you feel now, Sport?” Den asked as we were walking out of the clinic.
“Sooo much better. In fact, I don’t feel anything at all.” After four days of pain I was ready to jump for joy.
“Do you remember the advice the dentist gave you?”
“Huh. He gave me some advice?” I must have missed that part. Den says I could give lessons in selective hearing.
“He told you to be careful with what you eat. You can only have soft foods for the next several hours or at least until the freezing comes out.”
“Okay! Hey, I can do that,” I said, taking his hand and swinging it as we walked to the car. “Thanks, Den,” I said as I slid into the front seat beside him.
“What for, sweetie?”
“You know, for coming with me. I don’t think I could have done it by myself.”
He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. “Anytime, little one, anytime.” It just felt sooo good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time I got home from work, my mouth was feeling pretty much close to normal and, not having eaten much in the last few days, I was really hungry. I was the first one home so according to the rules, I got to make supper. I made lots!
“That was delicious, Buddy. How come you made so much?” Dusty patted his stomach as he pushed away from the table.
“I’ve hardly eaten in four days and I was starving.”
Dennis and Dusty both laughed at me as they got up to clear the table. That was another rule. Whoever made the meal got to watch the others clean up. Some rules were just real easy to live with.
“That’s the best sign that everything is back to normal, Sport,” Dennis said. “Or at least for what passes as normal around here,” he added. Dusty and I just shook our heads and rolled our eyes while he chuckled at his own joke.
Just then the ice cream truck could be heard coming down the street. “Guess who’s here, Buddy?” Dusty called out as he headed for the front door. “Come on, kid; my treat!”
He didn’t have to ask me twice; must be that selective hearing thing again.
Dusty’s Point of View:
Dennis and I were surprised when Skyy told us his tooth had been bothering him for the last couple of days. I remembered him saying something about not been feeling too good on the trip home this past weekend.
Den was able to get an appointment with our dentist but wasn't able to take him, so I was kinda volunteered. The poor kid didn’t sound very enthusiastic about the arrangement and who could blame him.
“Good morning, Jake. How are things?” I greeted my boss before making my request. “Is it all right if I take a couple of hours off today? I have to go to the dentist with my partner.”
“No problem! Take all the time you need and thanks for letting me know.”
Skyy was sitting on the front porch when I pulled into the driveway so we arrived at the dental clinic with plenty of time to spare. I was trying to read but Skyy’s fidgeting was driving me nuts.
Even though I knew he was a little frightened, I thought it would be fun to tease him a little. I don’t know where my mind was. Teasing him turned out to be a major error in judgement and Dennis was going to kill me. The little shit took off on me before I had a chance to tell him it was all a joke.
I called my work to let them know I wouldn’t be returning today and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to track down my fellow-Brat. I hated going home without him, but I knew Den would be there and wondering what had become of us. I sat in my truck for several minutes before I finally got up enough nerve to go in.
“Hello, love. How did things go at the dentist?” Dennis greeted me with a comforting bear-hug. “Where is Skyy?”
“I don’t know where he is. He said he had to use the washroom, but ended up sneaking out the back door of the clinic and taking off. He didn’t even see the dentist. I’ve looked all over town for him.”
“I realize he must have been nervous, but I never thought he’d run off. I’m sure he’ll show up any minute now. It’s five o’clock and supper is almost ready, so we’ll go ahead and eat. If Skyy isn’t home by the time we finish, then we’ll decide what to do next to see if we can locate him.”
I couldn’t eat. I just sat at the table and pushed my food about on the plate, hoping Dennis wouldn’t notice. Fat chance!
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Skyy’s probably walking around trying to persuade himself to come home. He most likely knows he’s in trouble for leaving without seeing Dr. Walter. Now, please eat your supper.”
I had to force myself to cram a forkful of food into my mouth and swallow it. I had no idea how I was going to explain to him what I had done. Skyy was missing and I was in shit over my head. Yep, Dennis was going to kill me when he found out.
“I want you to drive up and down the streets of the neighbourhood to see if you can find Skyy. Check out the park and the cemetery. He often visits his mother’s gravesite. I’ll stay here in case he shows up and, while I’m waiting I’ll clean up here and make a few calls. I’ll phone Niko to see if Skyy has been over to the tenement,” Den suggested once he finally accepted I wasn’t able to eat any more of my supper.
I was only too happy to escape. I continued the search for another couple of hours before heading home in defeat. Surely Skyy had returned by now. I ran through the front door hoping Dennis had some news regarding the kid’s whereabouts.
“Have you heard from him yet, Den?” I stopped short when I saw Skyy sitting on Den’s lap. A feeling of relief went through me as I apologized for scaring him and held out my arms to pick him up and swing him around when he ran over to me.
That relieved feeling sure disappeared fast when I looked over at Dennis and realized my apology to Skyy had provided all the information he needed to accurately guess what I had done at the dentist’s office that morning.
“Dustin, go find your corner in the study, please,” he ordered sternly.
It didn’t take much to figure out that Dennis was going to be more than a little pissed-off when he heard all the details. I followed his instructions and went into the study to bury myself in my corner. I was wondering if Dennis would consider this a paddling offence. He only resorts to the paddle for the worst ones. It was very seldom used and in the four years we had been together, I could count on one hand the number of times it had been taken out of the desk drawer where it resided. I had been standing there forever when I heard Dennis come into the room. It was too soon.
“Come over here, Dustin,” he spoke quietly but firmly and I was fully aware of how unhappy he was with me. “Care to share today’s events with me?” he asked as I took a seat beside him on the couch.
Considering that as more of a demand than a request, I told him what I had said and how Skyy had believed all the false information I’d feed him. I admitted I knew Skyy was getting more and more frightened. “I was just teasing, Den. I didn’t mean to scare him so much. I was going to tell him I was only having a bit of fun and that it was all a joke when he got back from the washroom, only he never came back.”
“So he ended up spending the rest of the day in pain and too upset to come home because he thought he was in trouble. I don’t believe Skyy considered it at all amusing. Do you think he did?”
“Noooo.” I was really feeling guilty and just wanted this whole mess cleared up.
“Why did we establish a rule that you were not to torment him?”
“He trusts me because I'm older and believes just about everything I tell him.”
“That’s right! You will have lines to write this weekend in addition to the spanking you are going to get now. You fully understand why you’re being punished, don’t you?” he asked, putting me on my feet.
“Yes!” I nodded as I tried to pull away to prevent him from lowering my jeans and boxers. My eyes filled even before I was settled across his lap. “I’m sorry, Den. I’ll never do it again.”
“Tell me why, Dustin.”
“I made Skyy run away.”
“No, try again.” He patted my bare backside warningly. I can never understand why he’s under the impression that it is easy to think in this position.
“I-I broke a rule. I tormented Skyy and-and frightened him.”
Den rarely lectures when he spanks. He just concentrates on the job at hand. He has a strong right arm and a hand that can feel like it’s made of steel. Although it wasn’t the hardest or longest spanking he’s ever given me, my feelings of guilt made it seem like one of the worst. It took me a long time to calm down after he had finished and I was nestled on his lap instead of draped across it.
Awhile later, I curled up on our bed and listened to Den gently bullying Skyy out of the bathtub. Several minutes passed before my younger partner crawled in beside me and wrapped his arms around my waist. It felt so good to cuddle up with the little guy and fall asleep. I vaguely remember Dennis getting into bed and kissing us goodnight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning I tried to find a comfortable sitting position as I ate my breakfast and watched Skyy stir the contents of the little container in his hand. I don’t know how he can eat that yogurt and fruit mixture, especially after Den has warmed it up to room temperature.
We talked about our plans for the day and Sky's upcoming appointment with Dr. Stephen. I tried to assure him that everything would be okay.
I kissed them goodbye before gathering up my lunchbox and leaving for work. I thought it was good that Skyy’s first experience with having a tooth filled was going to be with the kid’s dentist, even though Skyy didn’t care for the idea.
The time at the shop seemed to drag. Finally, I was able to leave for the barber and then home to see how my partners’ day had gone.
Skyy had cooked up a lot of Chinese food. He’s a better cook than either Den or I and knows a wide variety of dishes thanks to those friends of his at the tenement.
“That was delicious, Buddy, but how come you made so much?” I said, pushing away from the table and patting my stomach, which was more than full.
Den and I both laughed at his comment about being hungry after not eating much over the past few days. The big guy considered it a sign that things were getting back to normal. ‘Yeah, right!’
Just then, we heard music coming from the street. “Guess who’s here, Buddy?” I headed for the front door and called out, “Come on, kid; my treat!”
Dennis’ Point of View:
Skyy had been sleeping poorly for the last three nights and I was worried that he might be suffering the after-effects of Sunday night’s hijacking. He had appeared so calm once he was safe again, even to the point of sleeping during the car ride home. I decided to discuss it with him this evening.
I had to keep reminding Skyy to eat his breakfast. I was trying to get the dishes out of the way before leaving for the university and was getting impatient with him pushing food around the plate instead of eating it. He grumbled something about not being hungry. He sounded a little listless. I tried to encourage him to eat a couple of pieces of toast and drink his milk, as I didn’t want him going to school with an empty stomach. I watched him take a sip from his glass.
“Owww!” he cried as he grabbed the left side of his face.
“What’s the matter, sweetie?” I could see the tears forming in his eyes. I wasn’t too pleased to learn that he had been suffering with a toothache since the weekend and hadn’t mentioned it. I heated his milk just enough to take the chill off it and gave him two Tylenol, then phoned the clinic. Fortunately, I was able to get him an appointment with our family dentist. I was intrigued when I heard him confiding in Dusty that he had never been to a dentist. Due to a faculty meeting I could not get out of, it was agreed upon that Dusty would take time off work and drive Skyy to the dental clinic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I heard Dusty’s truck pull into the driveway just as I finished setting the table. Several minutes passed before he came through the back door and I greeted him with a welcoming hug. When asked the whereabouts of our younger partner, Dusty told me about Skyy’s escape from the clinic and that he had been unable to find him. I knew Skyy had been nervous about seeing a dentist for the first time, but his running off came as a surprise. Figuring he would come home soon, I decided to go ahead with supper.
It wasn’t hard to notice that Dusty was having a hard time eating. He just sat there and rearranged the food on his plate. I made an attempt to share my confidence that Skyy was safe and watched him put a forkful of food in his mouth and swallow it. I understood how worried he was about our younger partner not being home yet.
Once I accepted his inability to finish eating supper, I suggested he drive around the neighbourhood to continue searching for our missing loved one. I thought it best if I waited at home and made a few phone calls.
I was pacing the floor in the study and talking to Dom on the phone when I turned to see my youngest Brat standing in the doorway. “Skyy just got here, Dom. I’ll call you later. Thanks.” I hung up the phone to walk over and greet him with a firm shake. “Just where the hell have you been, young man?”
I saw his eyes fill with tears and realized that my actions were alarming him. I took a deep breath in order to calm down as he threw himself into my arms and wailed out an apology for taking off and worrying us.
I walked with him out to the living room to sit down in our large recliner and discuss where he’d been all afternoon. I asked for more information as to why he had left the dental office to begin with, but he didn’t have a chance to answer because at that moment, Dusty burst through the front door.
“Have you heard from him yet, Den?” Dusty came to a sudden halt when he saw who was sitting on my lap. “Skyy. I’m so very sorry, little buddy. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I was only teasing. It was a joke.” He held out his arms and Skyy ran into them.
‘A joke, hmmm. Something was definitely wrong here and it didn’t take too much to put two and two together.’
“Dustin, go find your corner in the study, please.” I wasn’t at all happy to be leaving Dusty for any length of time on his own, but Skyy needed my immediate attention. I sat with him while he ate a light meal consisting of a bowl of lukewarm soup, heated milk, and two Tylenol. Then for a second time that evening, I sat him on my lap with every intention of further talking over the day’s events. I informed him I would not be spanking him for running away this time but it had better not happen again and that he would definitely be doing lines this weekend.
He turned until he was straddling my legs and looking into my face before murmuring his acceptance. I’m sure his compliance was due in part to his relief at sitting on my knees and not lying face down over them. He started playing with the buttons on my shirt. “What’s going to happen tomorrow?” he asked as his curiosity over rode his trepidation.
“I’ve been able to make another appointment for you at nine o’clock in the morning and to avoid a repeat of today’s performance, I will be taking you myself,” I informed him. He didn’t look too happy about the idea.
“But I don’t want to go, Den,” he murmured, leaning into my shoulder.
“I’m taking that choice away from you, little one. We are going camping this weekend, remember? You don’t want to be suffering with a toothache, do you?” I asked, speaking softly into the curls beneath my chin.
“Nooo! I’m looking forward to camping out, but I’m still nervous about going to the dentist.”
I lifted him up to better see his face. “Skyy, do you trust me to know what’s best for you?”
I knew he trusted me. He would never have become a full partner in our type of relationship if he hadn’t been willing for me to help in certain areas of his life. I loved him with all my heart and I knew he fully returned my love but I needed his declaration of trust, for his sake as well as my own.
“I trust you, Den!” His words were genuine and as was always the case, humbly empowering.
I sent him upstairs so I could have time with Dusty and I waited at the foot of the stairs until I heard the sound of bath water running along with a blast of music from the radio in our room. Then steeling myself for what was to follow, I went into the study. I had left Dusty in the corner longer than usual but I knew he would feel I had returned too soon. I watched him leaning further into the corner as I sat down on the couch.
“Come over here, Dustin.” He turned and slowly made his way across the room to me. “Care to share today’s events with me?” I asked as he sat down beside me. He haltingly related all he had done to torment his fellow-Brat.
“You fully understand why you’re being punished, don’t you?” I asked, putting him on his feet.
“Yes!” he answered tearfully as I pulled down his jeans and boxers and settled him across my thighs.
“Tell me why, Dustin.”
“I made Skyy run away.”
“No, try again.” I wanted to be sure he understood the reason for the punishment. I landed a gentle warning pat on his bare bottom.
“I-I broke a rule. I tormented Skyy and-and frightened him.”
He answered correctly this time. I was fully aware of him having spent a long afternoon worrying and probably because I’d rather be doing anything but this, the spanking wasn’t as severe as I am sure he was expecting. But hopefully it would help ease his guilt over what he had done. It took a while to get him calm enough to take him upstairs. When the crying had turned into intermittent sniffles, I removed his jeans completely and helped him pull up his boxers. Upstairs, I took him into the guest bathroom and coaxed him through washing his face and brushing his teeth. After turning down the radio, I left Dusty curled up on our bed and went into the en suite to get Skyy.
“Come on in,” he requested, but I fully understood the reason behind the invitation.
“If you stay there any longer, Sport, you’re going to turn into a prune,” I said, pulling out the plug.
“Too late!” He laughed, showing me his hands.
I lifted him up and handed him a towel to get dried then checked to see if he had done it properly. He’d rather ‘air-dry’ as he puts it, so as usual I had to make him repeat the process. “Step closer to the towel, Skyy. It won’t bite.” Much as I felt like it, I didn’t laugh when I saw him rolling his eyes.
I knew from past experience how much Dusty and Skyy would want and need to cuddle, so I used the pretext of straightening up the bathroom and preparing for bed to allow them time together.
I spooned up behind Skyy and reached over him to kiss the older of my two partners. Dusty stirred enough to return my kiss and mumble a sleepy “G’night, Den.” My youngest partner only managed a ‘Hmmm’ in response to the kiss I gave him. Oh well, tomorrow was another day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Skyy woke me early this morning to ask for a couple of painkillers. I stayed up with him, thinking now would be a good time to cuddle and talk about today’s upcoming events. After assuring him everything would be fine, I picked up the remote control and turned on the classical music both of us find relaxation in listening to.
We had been up for almost an hour when the sounds of my other Brat getting up could be heard. It was time to get our day underway. Coffee brewing, I put juice, cereal, and fruit on the table while Skyy did what he had done every work day for the last four months. He packed a lunch for Dusty.
I was trying to read in the waiting room when I felt Skyy’s elbow jabbing me in the side as he tried to get my attention. I looked up to see what he found so interesting and saw a man in his early forties standing by the receptionist’s desk. I explained that the stickers were things the dentist usually gave to the children. I had no idea why someone that age would be sticking them on his clothing.
Skyy was called over to the receptionist a few minutes later and as promised, I stayed with him through the entire procedure of x-rays, examination, and treatment. After settling into the dentist’s chair, Skyy quickly surveyed the room until the TV in the ceiling drew his attention. I knew the injection had hurt him when he tightly shut his eyes, inhaled sharply, and held my hand in a death grip.
“I’m going to look at the pictures and I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Dr. Stephen informed us, as he left the room. I listened to the muted sounds of the program Skyy was watching. It didn’t take long for Skyy to lose interest in whatever show was on the TV and I wasn’t at all surprised to see him doze off while the dentist was working on him. He had missed quite a bit of sleep the last few nights.
Dr. Stephen carried on a conversation with me while he worked. “This young man’s teeth are in excellent condition. He’s eighteen, right?”
“That’s correct and this is his first visit to a dentist.”
“I’m impressed. It is very unusual for someone this age to never have had a cavity. Most of my patients have had several by this age and this one is relatively small.”
“I only guessing but I don’t think he had many sweets while he was growing up.” I couldn’t help but wonder how many other childhood experiences Skyy had missed out on: the good as well as the bad.
I woke him up to tell him it was all over. I correctly assumed he wasn’t paying attention to the instructions Dr. Stephen was giving him. He at least pretended to be interested in what the dental assistant was showing him. He seemed amused by the miniature box of dental floss given him along with a new toothbrush and he graciously thanked her for the handful of stickers before following me out to the reception area. I was taking care of the bill when I saw him using his finger to check out his tooth. Out of habit I reached over and gently pulled it out of his mouth.
“How do you feel now, Sport?” I asked as we left the clinic.
“Sooo much better. In fact, I don’t feel anything at all.” He was practically skipping with relief that it was all over.
“Do you remember the advice the dentist gave you?”
“Huh. He gave me some advice?”
I knew the Brat hadn’t been listening so I ended up repeating the instructions.
He swung my hand as we walked to the car and as he settled into the passenger seat, he murmured, “Thanks, Den.”
“What for, sweetie?”
“You know, for coming with me. I don’t think I could have done it by myself.”
I put my arm around his shoulders to hold him for a few minutes. “Anytime, little one, anytime.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time I got home later that afternoon, Skyy had supper ready and the table set. Dusty often says Skyy is the best cook of the three of us and I certainly have to agree. Dusty had more than done justice to the meal Skyy had put together.
“I’ve hardly eaten in four days and I was starving,” Skyy explained why he had prepared so much food. We both laughed at him as we got up to clear away the dishes.
“That’s the best sign that everything is back to normal, Sport,” I teased. “Or at least, for what passes as normal around here.”
They both heard the ice cream truck at the same time. “Guess who’s here, Buddy? Come on, kid; my treat!” Dusty shouted, taking off out the front door with Skyy right behind him.
I took advantage of the moment to sit back and relax with another cup of coffee.
The End
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