Joe takes a job working with his father after his older brother suffers a life-threatening accident.
Brothers - Part 12
by Graham
Series: Brothers by Graham
The long month of being grounded, without even having a job to get away and go to, began Monday. Joe did start thinking of places to look for a job, so he could get out for a bit doing that. Otherwise, his Mom and Dad left lists of things for him to do, besides assigning regular, repeated duties – like driving his little brother and sister to school and back, making their lunches each night, doing all the laundry twice a week, cooking supper for the family when they all came home, and cleaning the house, along with mowing the yards, edging, and blowing off the driveway and sidewalks. That meant Josh didn’t have to help out with those outdoor chores, which allowed him more time on the weekend to go off and see his new girlfriend, Beth.
Only one time, the first week, Joe sat down in mid-afternoon, turned on the tv, and dozed off. His Dad and big brother, Josh found him suddenly awakened as they came in the house at the end of the work day. Without waiting for any time to elapse, their father had pulled his surprised, second son up out of the chair where he’d fallen asleep, onto his feet, and marched him upstairs where he immediately undressed Joe completely – batting aside the young man’s initial attempts to keep his father from stripping him.
Pulling the protesting, naked young man (with an already aroused penis sticking and bobbing straight out) over his knee, he lit a fire all over the youth’s buttocks and thighs – shortly triggering a wild, screaming ejaculation from the boy, afterward producing screeching, shrieking sobs and wailing tears as the greater, sensitivity to pain quashed and crumbled any attempt at even a semblance of stoic resoluteness.
Joe bawled and squalled like a naughty, punished, prepubescent child, shaking, gasping, and sobbing. Afterward, he was hustled by their father into the bathroom for a fast shower, and then up into the top bunk for the night – skipping the meal that he was supposed to have prepared.
He had no success in finding another job, and late on Tuesday afternoon, while washing floors in the kitchen and bathroom, he was interrupted by a call on his cell phone. His father’s voice was tense, short, and excited. He was to pick up his little brother and sister and bring them home, give them supper, and stay with them. Their Dad was en route to the hospital, where their mother was already headed. Josh had been hurt at work and taken by ambulance to the emergency department. When Joe tried to ask questions, he was told to do exactly as he was told and his Dad would fill him in later.
Joe hurried through the rest of his daily chores, including getting a dinner ready. He picked up his little sister and brother, brought them home, but did not tell them anything about Josh being hurt. He got them supper, and joined them in eating. Then, he cleaned up the kitchen, and waited for his parents, while engaging in some perfunctory play with his smaller siblings. At 9 p.m., he got them ready for bed, and read them each a story before going to bed.
By 10:15, he still had heard nothing, but remembered that he had better get ready for bed too. So, he took a quick shower, pausing only to relieve the anxieties, tensions, and stresses of the day with a quick, but rewarding, wank. Then, he dried, brushed his teeth and hair, applied deodorant, and pulled on clean boxers for the night. He decided to pull a baggy pair of plaid shorts on over his boxers while he waited to hear from his parents.
At almost midnight, as he sat watching late-night television that he never ordinarily saw, he got another call on his cell phone. It was his Mom. Josh was out of surgery and being admitted to ICU. He had a right, femoral fracture, fractures of both arms, and most worrisome, had sustained a cranial fracture and head injury. He was in and out of consciousness. Joe was stunned and excited with fear. Was Joe going to be alright?
His Mom said that because Josh was young and in good condition, the fractures should all be expected to heal over time. The immediate concern was the head injury, and it was too early to tell. She asked him if his little sister and brother were alright, and he assured her he’d gotten them, taken care of them, fed them, played with them, and put them to bed. She sounded relieved and grateful, and thanked him for being able to count on him.
She replied to his question about how Josh got hurt by telling him their Dad would have to explain it to him. She did not know how much longer they would be at the hospital, but she wanted him to go to bed, so he could get up and get his brother and sister up and ready, and to school in the morning.
Although feeling left out the urgent family situation, Joe acceded to his Mom’s instructions, shut off the television and hiked upstairs to the bedroom he and his brother shared. There, he pulled off his baggy shorts, and about to climb up onto his top bunk, he paused and muttered a plaintive prayer for Josh. Then, staring at the bottom bunk of his big brother, Josh, from impulses for which he had no reason or explanation, he crawled into that bed, feeling a coziness smelling the familiar scent of Josh in it, and curled up to fall rapidly to sleep.
The night was a restless one for Joe, waking and wondering and worrying about Josh, off and on. At 6 a.m., he awoke automatically, pulled on his baggy shorts and an old, too-small-shrunken t-shirt, and began waking his little brother and sister. He got them bathed and dressed for school, made their breakfasts and lunches to take, and then drove them to school. When he got back, he was surprised to find his Mom’s and Dad’s vehicles in the driveway. Joe pulled in behind Josh’s blazer and hurried into the house.
Anxiously, he had to wait while his parents were showering and dressing for the day. When they came out, they told him that Josh was still very serious, and his Mom was going to go back to hospital to be available for him. His Dad was going on to work where the rest of the crew would be waiting for him. Before leaving, his Dad told him that Josh had been painting a ceiling in the entrance-way when the scaffolding had collapsed, dumping him down onto the floor. More than that he did not linger to say, but he reminded Joe to do all the chores expected of him, and look around for others.
Joe worked hard around the house all day, picked up his little sister and brother, and began cleaning out the garage when he Dad came home. They sat down to the supper Joe had prepared, when their Mom arrived. She joined them, telling them that Joe had regained consciousness, and if the remained alert through the night, he might be moved from ICU to a private room on the floor. That news was a relief, and everybody’s spirits seemed to improve after hearing it.
During dinner, Joe learned from their Dad that a long-time worker with Ron Fischer, Ernie Stoops, was probably responsible for the accident. The scaffolding had not been locked in place when it was assembled the day before the accident, and use and movement had likely loosened it until it fell apart as Josh was standing on it. Ernie was nearly 70, and Joe’s Dad mused that he would probably have to urge Ernie to retire soon; but for now, with Josh out, he could not afford to be without another worker. He needed Ernie.
Two more days passed in much the same fashion. When the family gathered for dinner that night, Josh had been moved and was now able to speak and hold conversations with people. The prognosis for him, after MRI’s, was that with careful rest – which his fractures would require anyway – he would recover and be fine. The doctors had marveled at what Josh had undergone in the accident, and yet was regaining so quickly daily, attributing it to the incredible condition of the young man. Joe smiled, thinking to himself how Josh was benefited and blessed by his hunky, beefcake status.
It was during that dinnertime conversation that Ron Fischer Dad dropped a surprising bomb of information. Josh would probably be in the hospital for another week or more. After that, he would be out of commission for another 6 to 8 weeks of recuperation. Josh had suggested that, since Joe was out of work anyway, their Dad should take him along, and hire him, to work in Josh’s place.
At first Mr. Fischer had tended to dismiss the idea, thinking about how experienced and reliable Josh was, and he would have to begin almost from scratch teaching Joe what to do. The more the thought cooked in his mind, however, the better it looked. Joe was young and strong and healthy; and while built like, or in the same condition as, Josh, he would be able to do what young men can. And that would also give him some goal in sight to get Ernie Stoops to retire.
Joe was floored to hear this idea. First of all, he’d never really entertained the idea of working with their Dad like Josh did, because he’d had his own job. Second, he was sure sick of doing all the chores around the house, and more that his Mom and Dad thought of. Third, he wasn’t able to find another job, and it would offer him work and a chance to have an income again. Fourth, with secret competitiveness, he wondered if he could do that job as well as – or maybe even better than – Josh.
"It’s hard work, and you have to pay attention every minute: no daydreaming, or slipping up. You see what happened to your brother because somebody slipped up. You’ve got to be fresh, alert, strong, and follow directions to the ’t’," he returned to listening to hear his father say.
Joe was excited about the idea and rebounded: "Yeah, well, I keep the same hours and schedule as Josh does, so that should be easy."
"But you don’t know what to do, and that’s going to be tough and critical. We can’t wait for a long learning-curve, Joe. You’ve got to pay attention, follow orders, and get up to speed quick."
"Right, Dad. I can do that, ... and I will. Gee, thanks, Dad. I never thought about this, but I really do want to do it. And I can, you’ll see, Dad."
"All right, then, it’s settled. Josh’s idea of a sub for himself was a good one. We’ll start you tomorrow morning, first thing – but don’t think that gets you out of doing things around here, and helping your Mom and me out, young man."
"I understand, Dad," Joe reassured them all.
The next morning, Joe was already up when his Dad called at 6 a.m. He dressed like he’d seen Josh dress to go off to work, and hurried down for breakfast. About 6:55, they pulled out in his Dad’s truck, headed off to the hotel. The next two days were difficult, hard work for Joe, having to be told everything to do, straining to understand, remember, and do it to detailed. Then came the weekend, and Friday night he was allowed to go with his Dad to visit Josh.
Josh was mostly immobile, with his arms in casts, and his right leg up to his hip in a long, heavy cast. His longish, handsome hair had been shaved, and he had stitches in parts of his head, with dark bruising on his skull and face. But they had finally taken the catheter out of him, and he seemed happier just for that. For Joe, it was just great to see his big brother safe.
They all laughed about how great Josh’s idea for Joe to replace him on the job was, and also about how slow Joe was in learning and doing what Josh knew automatically, without thinking about it. "Don’t get too good at it, Joe," Josh teased. "Dad may not think I’m worth taking back."
"You don’t have to worry about that, Josh. I’m slow – way too slow – and Dad and the other guys yell at me about it," Joe added. Then he just blurted out, "but thanks for recommending me, Josh. I really appreciate you doing that, and ... I’m really glad you’re going to be okay."
He caught himself, or his bubbling emotions would have spilled, telling Josh he’d been sleeping in Josh’s bed every night since Josh’s accident. Nobody knew that, and they didn’t need to know it; and Joe didn’t need to be embarrassed trying to explain why he was doing that – especially when he didn’t know why.
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