Subject: A Kid Named Ryan, Chapter 4 From hoo A Kid Named Ryan – Chapter 4 [If you are enjoying this and/or other stories on Nifty, please make sure you make a donation to support them. fty/donate.html] Chapter 4 The local officer who I spoke with on the phone got my address and unit number at the condo. He said he and someone else would be over within the hour. It was already 9:30 and I somehow doubted that Ryan or I would be getting much sleep that night anyway. “How about you going and get cleaned up a little before the police get here,” I said. “Do you have any clean clothes you can put on?” “Yeh, I can find something.” “You can use the bathroom off my bedroom or the one that’s here in the hall. The fresh towels are here,” as I pointed to the bathroom closest to us. Ryan unzipped his duffle bag, found some fresh gym shorts and a tee shirt to put on and headed into the hall bathroom. I went to my room and just stared for a few moments in the mirror, trying to gather my thoughts, wondering what was going to happen next. After I finished, Ryan was still in the hall bathroom and I lightly tapped on the door. He responded, “Yeh.” “You okay?” “I’ll be out in a minute.” “I’m in the living room.” I sat on the sofa with tears in his eyes. Ryan came out, smelling cleaner, and sat down next to me crying. All I could do was hold him, but nothing I said would console him. Periodically he’d ask a question to which I said, “I don’t know,” or “I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.” I asked, “Do you want anything to drink?” He looked at me and said, “I think I need a stiff drink, but I doubt you’ll give it to me.” “After the police leave, we’ll see.” The rest of the time was spent in silence. Finally, the doorbell rang and two men entered. One introduced himself as Detective Wilson from the local police; the other was Mr. Davenport from Children and Family Services. The detective tried to tell us what had occurred. Ryan’s parents were rear-ended by an 18- wheeler outside of Knoxville on I-40. “Unfortunately, son, they were dead at the scene.” Ryan nodded his head and looked at me as if to say, “Should I say something or ask anything?” I looked at Detective Wilson and asked, “Since the accident happened today, can we presume escort izmit that the bodies won’t be released for a few days?” “That’s right, Mr. Morrison. The coroner will have to do autopsies and once that’s concluded the bodies will be released.” “Is there any indication of who’s was at fault?” “Based on what the authorities from Tennessee have told us, the truck driver. But their investigation isn’t done yet.” I looked at Ryan and asked if he had any questions. He only had one, “What happens to me now?” Det. Wilson nodded toward Mr. Davenport saying, “That’s why he’s here.” Again, just like when I first heard the news earlier in the evening, my stomach tightened up. Mr. Davenport, who was sitting in the chair across from us, said, “Ryan, do you have any immediate family members in the area.” “No, sir.” “Any family anywhere? Aunts, uncles, grandparents?” “No, sir. Not really. My grandmother is in a nursing home near Boone, but she’s old and wouldn’t be able to take care of me.” “Nobody else, son.” “No, sir.” “Mr. Morrison,” he said now looking at me, “What’s your relationship to the boy?” “I teach at his high school and am one of his soccer coaches.” There was a real long pause and Mr. Davenport said, “Ryan, since you have no family, I’m going to have to ask you to come with me.” “NO!” he shrieked, “I’m staying here with Mr. M!” “Okay. I know this is very hard right now, but because you have no immediate family, the State has to ensure you will be properly cared for.” Ryan blurted out, “I will be. With Mr. M!” He looked at me for some kind of assurance. “Mr. Davenport, it’s been a very long and difficult few hours,” I said. “Ryan and I were at a soccer camp about two hours away from here when we got the news and we drove back tonight so he could be here. For the time being, could you just let him stay here until we can begin to figure out what’s what? After all, he’s only 15 and he just found out his parents are gone.” Davenport looked at Det. Wilson. He took a deep breath and said, “Well, based on the late, it might be best that he stay here. But understand, my hands are tied and in all likelihood he’ll have to come with me, or someone else, tomorrow.” That was the best we could ask for. The two offered izmit escort their condolences to Ryan and we exchanged phone numbers. After they left, Ryan looked at me and said, “You can’t let them take me.” “Believe me, Ryan, I don’t want that to happen either. Let’s try and get some sleep and I’ll start making phone calls in the morning.” My head was now in overdrive trying to figure out next moves and what to do to keep Ryan on some kind of even keel. I looked at the place where I kept some bourbon and rum as I remembered Ryan’s words, “I need a stiff drink.” “Ryan, what do you want to drink?” He came over, stood next to me and said, “Are you sure?” “My man, you’re going to have to grow by leaps and bounds in the next several days. I think you can have your first drink of alcohol tonight.” He put his arms around my waist and said, “I dunno. What should I have?” “Let’s go with rum and Coke, okay?” He nodded his approval and then I chimed in, “But you need to get a glass of water in you first.” We went to the kitchen and I got him some water. I put ice in two glasses as well as pulled a liter of cola from the pantry. Then I poured his drink. I got myself a bourbon. We sat on the sofa again. There was just silence. We sat close enough that I could feel his breathing as well as know when tears were running down his cheeks. I reached out and wiped the tears with my free hand and he turned to look and me and kind of smiled. He was hurting so much, Ryan had no idea what to do. Every once and a while he would take a sip of his drink which was much more Coke than rum. When I saw the clock go past midnight I ran my fingers through his hair, kissed him on the top of his head and said, “Do you think you can go to sleep?” He faintly responded, “No,” which is what I expected. So we just remained there on the sofa. He took the last swig of his drink and put the glass on the coffee table on which we were also resting our legs. I finished my bourbon and reach over to put the glass on the end table nearest me. I turned the light off that was on the end table and we just sat there, in a darkened room, and held each other. He would stir every now and then, mostly to reposition himself, but he was still awake. When izmit kendi evi olan escort I asked if he wanted to try and go to lay down in bed, he mumbled, “No. I like it here right now.” So, as the early morning hours drifted away, the two of us stayed on my sofa for the rest of the night. I must have fallen asleep for a few minutes because I stirred awake when Ryan got up to go to the bathroom. When he came back he rested his head on my stomach and stretched his feet toward the far end of the sofa. Sometime after 5:00 I knew I needed to get started on what was going to be a busy day. Ryan was asleep, although he stirred awake briefly when I got up and laid his head gently on the part of the sofa where I had been. After putting on a pot of coffee, I sat at the kitchen table with a notepad and began to write every thought, every question I could think of that would need an answer in the coming days. The first: “How do I find a way to keep Ryan with me?” Knowing my dad would be awake by 7:00, I texted him, “I really need to talk to you.” Within minutes he had called, “What’s up? Is everything alright?” And, as briefly as I could, I told him what had happened. I finished the monologue with, “Can you help me find a way to help him, dad?” “Wait. What are you saying. You want to keep him? Are you serious?” “Really serious, dad. If that’s what he wants, I want to be there for him.” “Please tell me right now that this has nothing to do with you being gay.” “Dad, I can tell you emphatically that it doesn’t. But, so you know, Ryan thinks he’s gay. He confided that to me several months ago. I don’t know if it’s why he wants me around right now, but I’ll tell you as your son, it’s not why I want him to live with me for the foreseeable future.” “You know this isn’t going to be easy?” “That’s why I wanted to speak with you. You helped me through a mine field when you figured out who or what I was. I need you now, dad. What do I need to do?” He said the first thing would be to find an attorney who specialized in family law. He would call his lawyer at 9:00 and see if he knew anyone in our region who he could recommend. You will also need an attorney to protect the evidence from the accident scene, so he was going to find a recommendation and work that angle, too. “I’ll be back in touch as soon as possible. And, son….” “Yeh, dad.” “Love ya.” “I love you, too. Thanks.” As the call ended, I felt a little better. Someone who I trusted with my life was in my corner.