Part 13

Barney came out of his coma on Saturday November 3, eight days after the accident. Finding his jaw wired closed upset him, but when he discovered his arm was missing he flipped out and they had to sedate him. It took three days until he was able to accept the fact he'd lost his left arm. All in all, his injuries thoroughly destroyed what little self esteem he possessed. As far as he was concerned, his life was over.

*****

On Sunday, November 4, the season ended for the Tidewater Titans. The first round of the Eastern Region, Third Division of the Pop Warner Football League was as far as they’d go this year. Although they put up a valiant effort, the other team was just a bit better that day. The thirty to thirty four score revealed it to be an action packed game. Both teams shook hands after the game ended, knowing that neither team really lost.

Jasmine had once again been with the cheerleaders and promised that next year she’d be on her feet cheering with them.

No one objected when Jasmine sat with Jimmy on the trip home just as no one ever objected to Krista and Tony sitting together. They all knew the young lovers respected each other too much to let their relationship get out of control.

*****

In Vancouver, the University of British Columbia placed Benny on un-paid leave pending dismissal. Since he had not yet earned tenure, Benny knew he would be fired. When it became clear he would not be released on bail and would eventually be extradited to Maryland, Benny decided not fight extradition. To save what he could of his reputation and to prevent placing a big black mark on his record, Benny resigned from his position.

The call to the Talbot County DA from the RMCP came in on Monday, November 5 that Benny could be picked-up for transport. A detective was dispatched on Wednesday to pick up and return Benny.

Heather was notified of the arrest and extradition, receiving the news with mixed emotions.

"I can't see daddy living on his own since he ran away from us," Jaz said. "I wonder if started another family in Vancouver?"

No one knew the answer. Heather placed a call to Steven and Cynthia to ask if they knew. While they didn’t, they did promise to contact the PI they’d hired to check out Benny.

It didn’t take the PI long to discover Benny had a wife, son, and a baby on the way. Since that wasn't one of the things he'd been asked to investigate, he had not previously taken the investigation that far. The phone number the PI had given Steven was for Benny's cell phone. He now provided the land line phone number for Benny's home.

A call to Benny's home on Friday evening was answered by Gretchen. Steven could tell by the slight tremor in her voice she was emotionally distraught.

"My name is Steven Campbell," he identified himself. "I'm calling in regard to Benny."

Gretchen sighed heavily. "Oh my God, what has he done now?"

"Apparently he's left you in the lurch just as he did his first wife," Steven began. "I'm Benny's stepfather. His mother and I are concerned about you and your son. We never knew you existed, but then we only discovered in October that he had had a first wife and abandoned that family. We've since reconciled with them and are delighted with our daughter-in-law and three granddaughters. Am I correct in assuming that with his arrest and extradition you're without means to support yourself?"

"Yes," Gretchen sniffed. "Benny handled all the finances but as far as I can tell we were living paycheck to paycheck. I can't make our mortgage or car payments. I have no idea how we're going to survive. My parents want nothing to do with me so I'm on my own."

"I'm a CPA," Steven said. "With your permission, Cynthia and I will fly to Vancouver as soon as we can get a flight. I can go through your finances and we'll help you sort things out. Unlike Benny, we honestly care about you and our grandchildren and want to do all we can to help. Do you have a guest bedroom Cynthia and I could stay in?"

"Yes," Gretchen answered clearly surprised by the offer.

"Great, we'll rent a car when we land in Vancouver, then call you for directions to your home," Steven said. “Cynthia has already started to pack. I'll call back with our flight details. If all goes well, we should arrive sometime late tomorrow. In the meantime, keep your chin up. The cavalry is on the way."

"I don't know how to thank you," Gretchen cried clearly relieved that she had someone who cared. "I look forward to meeting you."

The Campbells flew out of Los Angeles International mid morning on Saturday, November 10. They arrived in Vancouver at 1:00pm. They arrived at Gretchen's home by 3:00pm. Greetings were exchanged and Benny Junior hugged. At Cynthia's request, they ordered Chinese for delivery as they sat and talked and played with BJ, just getting to know each other. Gretchen's second baby was due in February. The Campbells assured Gretchen she and her children would be supported. How that would be accomplished was still up in the air.

Naturally Gretchen was interested in Benny's first wife and family. When she learned how Benny had abandoned them she became furious. "Not once in our three plus years together did he ever mention having a wife and children back in the states. If he had, I would have been less trusting. The creep refused to see me while he was in jail and I think he agreed not to fight the extradition so he could get away from me. All I know is that he was charged with child abuse and endangerment."

"Calling Benny a creep is being charitable," Cynthia sighed. "He's a coward who won't face his responsibilities. We just learned about Benny's first family in October when a huge nursing home scandal was exposed."

Between Steven and Cynthia they filled in what they had learned of Benny's first family and that they were in the process of selling off most of what they had in California in preparation to moving to Maryland to be with their grandchildren once they found a suitable home.

Gretchen was shocked and angered by what had happened to Jasmine. She also finally accepted that Benny was using his arrest to abandon her in a similar fashion to how he abandoned Heather.

"What we'd like to suggest is that once we have our new place," Cynthia said. "We move you in with us and introduce you to Heather, Jasmine, Holly, and Ivy. After all, they are BJs half sisters. In fact, it was Jasmine who said she didn't think her dad could live alone for over three years and wondered if he had started a new family. That's why we asked the PI we'd hired to to initially find Benny to check a bit further."

They also explained about the Clan Wells Point and how Krista Scott had been the one to get the ball rolling to re-unite Benny's first family. They told her all of Krista's exploits from her odyssey where she met the Spades through her transsexualism, killing the escaped murderer, rescuing the abused little girl, saving two young transsexuals from suicide, and choking out the big man resisting arrest.

"Krista sounds like a real spit-fire," Gretchen smiled.

"That she is, but I doubt you'll ever meet a nicer, more compassionate person," Cynthia replied. "She and Jasmine are best girlfriends. The people there will welcome you with open arms."

"That is if you have no objections to joining us there," Steven said. "Since BJ is already a US citizen, it shouldn't be problematic for you to get a visa. We have a lawyer there who can help you get everything you'll need to pursue US citizenship. Then like BJ and your baby, you'll have dual citizenship."

Gretchen agreed to the plan. Sunday Gretchen and Cynthia began sorting possessions to sell, donate and keep while Steven plowed through the paperwork and computer files of Benny's finances. When all was said and done, they had found enough stashed assets to keep Gretchen afloat until the new year. When the Campbells found a home in Talbot, they'd make plans to liquidate Gretchen's belongings and move her to the new home.

At Cynthia's urging, Gretchen once more called her parents, on speaker phone so the Campbells could hear. A man's gruff voice answered the call. When she identified herself there was stony silence from the other end. "Dad, I'm not asking for anything. I admit I was wrong in marrying Benny, but I love my son and will love my baby. I'd just like you meet your grandchildren so they can get to know their grandparents."

"Yeah, I know how that works," Mr. Rich harrumphed. "Once we see the little buggers you'll hit us up for money. Try that trick on your precious Benny's parents!"

"Mr Rich, I'm Cynthia Campbell, Benny's mother," Cynthia spoke up. "My husband and I are here with Gretchen and we have met our mutual grandson. You're right, my son is a deceitful scumbag who abandoned his first wife and three daughters. We've made up with them and we have offered to have Gretchen and Benny Junior move in with us when we settle into our new home in Maryland before the end of the year. All Gretchen is trying to do is have you meet your grandson. There are no strings attached."

"There are always strings attached," Mr. Rich growled.

"Dad, I know you're proud and stubborn and rightfully feel that I betrayed you," Gretchen admitted. "I've missed my whole family and only want to keep in touch."

"Don't expect me to do that," Mr. Rich sighed easing up a bit. "You betrayed your family. I heard you admit you were wrong, that counts in your favor. You know our address, write your mother. If you can prove to us you've wised up and won't be hitting us up for support, I may allow you to visit."

"Thanks daddy," Gretchen said with a quivering voice. "I promise not to let you down this time. Once we get settled in Maryland and have my baby, I'll send you pictures."

"Mr Rich," Steven said. "I'm Steven, Cynthia's husband. "I'd like to invite you to visit us this summer. There is a nice Bed and Breakfast near where we'll be living and we know the owners. We've stayed there ourselves. We'll pick up the cost of your stay but you'll have to get there and back."

"Why are you doing this," Mr. Rich asked.

"Benny's first family couldn't make it on their own," Steven answered. "Only at the time we don't know he even had a family. We only discovered them in October when they made the news as our oldest granddaughter had been molested and was in a coma for over three years. We've since met them and have fallen in love with our grandchildren. We discovered Gretchen existed this week and called her Friday, then came here to visit and help her. Gretchen is a wonderful woman and mother who was charmed by a snake in the grass. She's learned her lesson the hard way. What we're doing now we're doing for our family. We don't want our involvement to be to the exclusion of your family. The people in Maryland that helped Benny's first family are honest to goodness good and caring people who willingly put themselves out to help others. The only thing they ask of those they help is to pass it on. It's a lesson we've learned and we're passing on what was done to help them to help Gretchen. If you come to visit, you'll meet them. I sincerely doubt if you could find a better group of people anywhere."

"You make it sound like paradise," Mr. Rich replied.

"It is," Steven chuckled. "I think what they have is as close to heaven on earth you'll ever find."

"We'll see," Mr. Rich brusquely declared. "You have our address, Gretchen. Goodbye."

"Well, he certainly seems like an interesting man," Cynthia said.

"Dad had a really bad experience with his sister draining their parents financially and then abandoning them when they needed help," Gretchen explained. "He always told us he'd never give us anything but would always help us if we were willing to work for it. I let him down when Benny swept me off my feet."

"We all make mistakes," Steven said. "The first step in recovering is to admit to the error, then move on. That's what we're helping you do."

"Thank you," Gretchen said as tears flowed down her cheeks.

The rest of the evening was spent talking and getting know each other better until it was time for bed. The Campbells left Monday morning after a hearty breakfast and tearful hugs and farewells, headed back their home in Los Angeles.

*****

The days flew by after that. Bill's house had been completed on November 8th and he promptly moved in with the help of the construction crew. The crew then immediately moved over to the large farm house Bill had vacated and began updating the plumbing, adding two more bathrooms, installing soapstone counters and a deep double sink in the kitchen and refurbishing the magnificent hundred year old cabinetry. The electrical system was replaced and greatly expanded, and the heating system was replaced by a geothermal heat pump. The efficient crew would have the home ready two days before thanksgiving.

The kitchen was located in the right front of the house, being twenty five feet wide and twenty feet long it was quite large. A center island with a small sink and soapstone top was built to match the rest of the cabinets. It would serve as a food prep area as well as a seven person meal counter.

Behind the kitchen was a walk-in pantry ten feet wide and fifteen feet deep. Beside that was an open area the same size which served as the house laundry and a mud room for the back door.

The dining room was huge. Forty feet long and twenty feet wide, it ran from the front of the house to the back. The enclosed back staircase descended from the second floor to the back of the house in this space. A doors at the bottom landing opened into the mudroom and the dining room. A stairway to the basement ran under the upper flight with it's entry door by the walkway into the kitchen. A matched pair of oak tables with expansion boards for each stood end to end. Without the expansion boards, each was twelve feet by five feet and together sat twenty eight people. With the three sixteen inch wide expansion boards each, another eight people could sit. The fully expanded pair of tables were five feet wide and thirty two feet long for a total seating capacity of thirty six. With the seven seats in the kitchen this would provide seating for forty three.

The living room was twenty five feet wide and forty feet long. The front stairway ran from a front landing up to second floor and a powder room was tucked beneath this flight accessible from the rear pass through from the dining room to living room. A huge fire place stood on the outside wall. The small rear porch was removed and an expanded porch twelve foot deep by seventy feet long, the full length of the house, was built.

The second floor had a hall six feet long. One bath was already located opposite the landing of back stairs. Another was added opposite the landing of the front stairs. A stairway to the attic paralleled the hall with it's start near the rear stairs. Three bedrooms thirteen feet by twenty feet were at the north end of the house accessed off the front stair landing. Two bedrooms 15 by fifteen were in the middle, one front and one back. On the south end there were three bedrooms like the north except the middle room was made into a hall with storage shelves and closets on either side. An elevator six feet square was added on the center exterior of the south side of the house with ground level access from the outside, and stops on the first, second and attic floors. This made the house handicap assessable if it ever became needed. A master bedroom suite with walk in closet and bath was carved out of the attic for Larry and Kylie.

*****

Because of the casts, therapy was slow for Dwayne and Phil, basically consisting of learning how to cope and be as self sufficient as possible in the casts. Their manual tilt in space wheelchairs provided support for their broken bodies and provided easy means of shifting the weight bearing sites on their bodies while allowing them to be wheeled around by an attendant.

The boys had always been best friends and now their shared personal stupidity and the resultant tragedy and disabilities made them dependant on each other for moral and attitude support. When one or the other would start to slip into past poor behavior patterns the other would alert the miscreant. Unlike in the past, both accepted the gentle rebukes in the spirit they were made. They felt closer than ever and vowed to remain fast friends the rest of their lives.

After a week and a half in rehab, they were discharged to go home on Saturday, November 10. Workers from Comfort Keepers came to their homes each morning for an hour to assist the boys in getting out of bed, dressed and eating breakfast. They would return each evening to help them bathe and prepare for bed.

The boys would return to the Requard Rehab Center every Saturday morning for a three hour session of out-patient therapy.

*****

Late in the afternoon on November 10, Barney was transferred from John Hopkins University Hospital to the Requard Rehab Center to begin his long road to recovery. Barney laid all the blame for the accident on Freddy and was almost gleeful when he learned the accident cost Freddy both legs. Unknown to him, he was placed in the room vacated by Dwayne and Phil earlier that day.

*****

Dwayne and Phil returned to school on Monday, November 12. Their classmates and teachers greeted them warmly and welcomed them back. There was even a welcome back banner in their homeroom and the cafeteria. There was no shortage of volunteers to help them move through the halls. If they had to use the bathroom, they headed to the nurse's suite where Pat assisted them. The outpouring of concern, friendship and encouragement really effected the former bullies. They profusely apologized to one and all for their past stupidity and vowed to start life anew on a solid track. Everyone knew the positive change of attitude of the boys was due to Krista's unflinching efforts to help everyone and give one and all a chance to improve their lives.

*****

On November 13, the Campbells received notification from their private investigator that he'd found the perfect site for them to relocate while investigating the owners of Apple Tree Quality Healthcare Systems. It seemed the estate adjoining The Clan Wells Point land to the north was owned by the family that owned by Calvin and Harold Gordon, the brothers who owned Apple Tree Quality Healthcare Systems. Since they fled the country to avoid prosecution, they quietly put the place up for quick cash sale. No FOR SALE signs were posted and the price was at the bottom of fair market value. The greedy family hoped to sell before the government seized their real estate holdings. The estate had been the family's secret quiet nearby vacation spot.

The PI informed the Campbells he'd already had a meeting with the law firm handling the family's legal affairs and now needed assurance the Campbells would put up the three million dollars to make the buy. The property had one mini mansion, four houses, two barns, five sheds, three garages, two boathouses, one pool house and pool and three piers. Starting on SR579 at Wells Point Lane it went north two thousand one hundred feet to a tree line a hundred feet beyond Apple Lane. The property line then followed the tree line six hundred feet east to Leadham Creek, then followed the shoreline east to Longs Cove. The total area was four hundred fifty acres.

The PI was working with the FBI to set up a sting to draw in the fugitive family in hopes of capturing them. By doing so immediately after the property sale, they could arrest them and confiscate the cash, thus avoiding the need to maintain the property until it could be sold at public auction.

The Campbells were eager to buy the property and if they assisted in nabbing the fugitives in the process, all the better. To avoid seeming too willing and have the sellers become curious, the Campbells offered two million for the purchase. After a bit of dickering they compromised on two and a half million dollars. They sent confirmation for the two and a half million dollar cash sale but insisted they meet the current owners to hand over the cash at the title transfer as they didn't trust intermediaries with that much money. Eager for the sale, the seller agreed. The PI and FBI made arrangements for the sale to be made on the Monday before Thanksgiving in Baltimore at a restaurant in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

*****

Also on November 14, Freddy emerged from his coma. When he realized the extent of his injuries he fell into a deep depression. The staff of John Hopkins University Hospital had no success in raising his spirits enough to try to help himself.

On Friday November 16 Freddy was transferred to the Requard Rehab Center. There they placed him in the same room with Barney. The two looked at each other with great sadness. Upon seeing the sorry state Freddy was in, Barney felt remorse for being happy that Freddy lost both legs. The two had little to say to each other but took a bit of solace in the fact misery loves company.

*****

While Dwayne and Phil now understood they had been used and abused by Freddy and Barney. They had also changed enough to want to try to help the broken duo. Of course, they had no idea what they might do. Naturally, they turned to Krista for advice. At first Krista was surprised by their request, but quickly realized she had become the local problem solver.

"Guys, at the moment I don't know what you can do," Krista honestly admitted. "But I will talk to some people and see what we can come up with."

Krista brought the matter up before the student council but they too were stymied. Freddy and Barney had been so anti-socially rebellious the only thing they wanted from school was to be out.

*****

When not otherwise engaged, Krista and Tony helped Kylie each day after school. How long was dependant upon their homework. Frank worked part-time with Kylie. Together they easily pounded out the scheduled repairs. Unscheduled time was spent working on the DUKW. By Thanksgiving they had the watertight gearboxes for all six drive axles repaired and reinstalled. The engine was rebuilt but waiting completion of the transmission overhaul. The gearbox, propeller shaft, and twenty five inch propeller were repaired and installed. The rudder had been rebuilt and the body patched and sealed. The tire pressure compressor and inflate/deflate system repaired. The canvas convertible style top was ordered and should be arriving soon. They hoped to have the transmission back in the week after Thanksgiving. They were trying to decide on an appropriate color scheme.

*****

Jasmine grew stronger day by day. By Mid November, she was able to walk from class to class. Krista and Tony walked directly behind her to act as human buffers to keep her from being jostled in the halls. Jaz and Jimmy were in heaven walking beside each other as they were allowed to hold hands as they walked through the halls in case Jasmine started stumbling or worse. The principal made sure all the students and staff knew that the ban on couples holding hands in the halls was temporarily waived for the pair because of Jasmine's physical issues.

*****

Two days a week, usually Tuesdays and Thursdays, Frank set sail with Bill and Heather in his large sailboat to fish the bay. For fifty dollars, Frank had purchased a Consolidated Bay Sport Boat License which allowed everyone on board a vessel used for pleasure to recreationally fish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries in lieu of individual licenses. A special complimentary Chesapeake Bay sport fishing license, which included recreational crabbing, was also issued to the boat owner purchasing the license. During November they caught mostly striped bass and white perch with a few catfish. In addition, as the owners of private shoreline property, they were each allowed to place two crab pots from a private property or pier or within 100 yds of shore and attached by line. They caught enough so every family in the Clan Wells Point had fresh fish and crab. Frank used the fishing expeditions to film the inlets and coves all around Bay Hundred to make DVDs for future customers. Virtually all public waterways had channel markers for larger vessels and were well documented on charts. The charts really had little information other than a place name for the shallower areas that canoe and kayak enthusiasts loved. The videos would give them an idea of what awaited them as they ventured about, allowing them to hug the shore lines and explore inlets and coves.

Frank also made arrangements with Fairbank Tackle, Fuel & Market on Tilghman Island to get wholesale rates on supplies for The Clan Wells Point Landing. Fairbank Tackle sells fishing bait, and tackle as well as fishing tackle parts and are repair specialists. They also sell Gas and diesel fuel for automobiles and at their dock for boats.

*****

When Dwayne and Phil went in for their first out-patient rehab on Saturday, Krista, Tony, Jaz, Jimmy, Gwen Moore and Ken Poore accompanied them. They arrived early, Gwen pushed Dwayne and Ken pushed Phil as they went in to visit Freddy and Barney.

The older guys were openly surprised to see Gwen and Ken pushing the younger boys followed by the other four with Jaz in a wheelchair. The serious expressions on the faces of all the visitors told of their horror at the injuries.

"So you came to gloat," Freddy snarled. "We're both cripples now, take a good look."

"We didn't come to gloat. We came to see what we can do to help you," Dwayne replied. "What's happened to us has happened. We all screwed up that night and there is no way we can undo what happened. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and go on with our lives."

"What lives," Freddy yelled. "Look at me, I ain't got no friggin legs! My life's over! Go back to school and tell everyone you saw the freaks!"

"If I tell them what I'm seeing right now I'll tell them I saw two cry-babies," Gwen spoke. "Two guys who were constantly going out of their way proving how tough they were and are now helpless cripples. Sure, you messed up, you got hurt real bad, but no one is going to rub your nose in it. We want to help you recover. We want to help you learn what you CAN do. We want to help you live and be happy."

"Happy," Freddy snarled. "How the hell can I be happy like this?"

"It won't be easy," Dwayne said. "Phil and I are getting better because we finally accepted WE screwed up. You were driving, but we were with you of our own free will so we are responsible for our injuries. Stop trying to place the blame on others, man up and accept you are responsible for your injuries. Once you accept that you are responsible for your own injuries you can move on. Prove to everyone how tough you are by admitting you made bad decisions. Then do something about it! Learn how to live the best life you can!"

"That's easy for you to say, you didn't lose your freakin legs," Freddy lashed out.

"No I didn't," Dwayne retorted standing up to him from his wheel chair. "But look at me! I'm never going to be able to do a lot of the things I thought I'd do. I'll heal up enough to get around okay, but sports are out and you know I loved sports. So what I plan to do is study hard and get good grades, then go to college. While I can't play, I can coach. So that's what I'll learn. I've accepted my limitations. Sure, I hate them, but tough shit. I'm not going to sit around and cry about might have beens."

"Freddy, I did a bit of research on double amputees," Krista spoke up. "Let me tell you about a man named Dana Bowman. He has astounded the nation and the world with his drive, determination, and will to succeed. He is a retired Sergeant First Class with the U.S. Army where he was a Special Forces Soldier and a member of the U.S. Army’s elite parachute team, the Golden Knights. On February 6, 1994, Bowman gained worldwide attention when he and his teammate Sgt. Jose Aguillon collided in midair during the team’s annual training in Yuma, Arizona."

"Bowman and Aguillon were practicing a maneuver known as the Diamond Track. The maneuver calls for the jumpers to streak away from each other for about a mile and then turn 180 degrees and fly back toward each other crisscrossing in the sky. Bowman and Aguillon had demonstrated the Diamond Track more than fifty times without a mistake, but this time was different. Rather than crisscrossing, the two skydivers slammed into each other at a combined speed of 300 miles per hour. Aguillon died instantly. Bowman’s legs were severed from his body, one above the knee and one below the knee. Bowman’s parachute opened on impact. He was taken to a hospital in Phoenix where doctors closed his leg wounds and stopped his internal bleeding."

"Nine months later, he turned this tragedy into a triumph when he became the first double amputee to re-enlist in the United States Army. Bowman re-enlisted in the United States Army airborne style, skydiving with his commander into the ceremony, making his dream a reality. This achievement is just one example of Bowman’s many successes under adverse circumstances. After Dana’s re-enlistment, he became the U.S. Parachute Team’s lead speaker and recruiting commander. Dana has been fortunate to have the opportunity to let his speeches touch so many from the physically challenged to the able-bodied. He strives to show physically challenged people can still work and excel in today’s society and military. Dana emphasizes the words amputee and uselessness are not synonymous."

"Dana has given more than 400 speeches in the last few years and has been featured in magazines such as Sports Illustrated, Reader’s Digest, People and many more. There have also been numerous television programs which focused on Dana and his story. Some of the programs include: Dateline, A Current Affair, Real TV, NBC Person of the Week, Day and Date and Extra."

"Dana retired from the United States Army in 1996. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in commercial aviation at the University of North Dakota in May of 2000. Since the accident he's been on more than 1,000 jumps, and in the meantime, he's touring the country speaking to anyone he can about not giving up hope, during times of distress."

"Then there's a guy named Scott Rigsby," Krista continued. "He was an 18 year old kid on a hot summer day just prior to his first college semester, riding in the back of a pickup truck in rural Georgia with friends after a hard day of landscaping work. They were talking sports, girls and plans for the weekend, when suddenly their truck was hit by a passing 18- wheeler, throwing him underneath a 3-ton attached trailer and dragging him 300 feet. His back suffered third degree burns, his right leg was severed off and his left leg hung barely intact. His life was seemingly over, or so it seemed for Rigsby. Over a decade of countless doctor visits and hospitals, 26 surgeries, additional amputation, depression, fear, and uncertainty, Rigsby had become a professional patient. An inevitable battle with prescription drug addiction followed, as did the loss of many relationships and trust. There was no steady income and no dreams for a stable or successful future."

"Life had hit Scott Rigsby hard, knocking him down and keeping him there. Yet he turned his life around, reaching unprecedented heights as a world-class athlete. Doing the unthinkable was not easy. It required an unshakeable determination to overcome any obstacle. Rigsby not only has done the unthinkable, he sees no finish line in sight. Rigsby embraced this motto of ‘doing the unthinkable’ when he decided in 2005 to change his life, and the world, by breaking down barriers for physically challenged athletes. He believes he has a genuine purpose to make a difference in everyone's life and is on a mission fueled by a simple prayer that if God would open doors for him, then he would go through them. Once that first door opened more than 15 years after his accident, a relentless and determined Rigsby arose and never looked back. A once beaten man from a small town has now taken on the world."

"He completed 13 triathlons and 5 road races on his way to setting world records for a double below-the-knee amputee in the Full Marathon, Half Ironman, and International Distance Triathlon, earning him a spot on the 2006 USA Triathlon Team. As his accomplishments mounted, so did Rigsby's desire to do the unthinkable and take his mission to the next level. He would tackle the toughest endurance test of them all, the Ironman, to raise the bar and inspire all challenged athletes to reach beyond their circumstances. Call it fate or maybe just life taking another swing at Rigsby, but tragedy struck again as he crashed halfway through the cycling portion of the Coeur d' Alene, Idaho Ironman event. Cracking a vertebrae, he overcame the pain to finish ahead of the bike cutoff time and ran 12 miles of the marathon before succumbing to his injuries. Not one to give up, Rigsby then prepared himself for the World Championship Ironman in Hawaii."

"On October 13 of this year, a little more than a month ago, after enduring the elements for sixteen hours and forty three minutes, Scott Rigsby became the first double-amputee on prosthetics in the world to finish an Ironman distance triathlon with prosthetics at the one hundred forty point six mile World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Rigsby used 'swim legs' to navigate the difficult two point four mile ocean swim, 'bike legs' to cycle one hundred twelve miles through the heat and gusting winds of the Big Island lava fields on a standard road bike, and 'run legs' to complete the marathon segment in darkness and intense pain."

"Take a lesson from those guys," Dwayne spoke up. "I know you're a damn tough guy, both of you are. It's okay to get pissed off at your injuries. But it's not okay to stay pissed off. Do the therapy, learn to adapt. We'll all be rooting for you."

"Everyone at the school wants to see both of you back after Christmas," Gwen said. "A few of your former buds have been saying you’ll be too chicken to come back to school, that you’ll use your injuries as a get out of school free pass. Dwayne and Phil have been telling them you guys are not cowards and that you’ll prove how tough you are by coming back to school. Besides, have you even heard from any of your former buddies since the accident?”

“No, we haven’t. But I don’t understand why are you guys doing this,” Barney asked through his wired shut mouth as he blinked back tears of frustration and disbelief. “All we ever did was give everybody a hard time. Why don’t you just laugh at us and tell us we got what we deserved?”

“No body deserves what happened to you,” Krista spoke. “My mom didn’t deserve to get cancer and die. I didn’t deserve to be left in charge of two younger sisters or be shouldered with the responsibility to get them here from Massachusetts. But this is real life. Shit happens. If you don’t shake off the shit, it’ll bury you. You were already doing booze and drugs. All it got you was f-d up. You can give up and be buried feeling sorry for yourself or you can accept the help you’re offered. The staff here will show you how to adapt. A lot of us from school will help you just like we’re helping Dwayne and Phil. But you can’t do anything if you give up.”

Barney was openly crying. “But why are you willing to help us?”

“Because right now you need help,” Krista answered. “Strangers helped me when I was down and exhausted. I never asked for their help, they just offered it. Now I try to help others.”

“Krista helped me,” Tony added. “She saved Kylie’s life. She helped Sandi, the little girl who was molested and is now Krista’s adopted sister.”

“She helped my whole family,” Jaz declared. “She saved my life. We’re just passing on the help to whoever needs it. Someday you’ll be able to help others. But you have to want to get better.”

“Christ, Barney, I can’t believe you’re falling for their line of crap,” Freddy exclaimed. “Look at you, balling like a freakin’ baby!”

“Yeah, I am,” Barney sniffed. “Look at us man, we’re really fucked up! You worse than me! I don’t want to give up. I don’t want to be a cripple. I want to live! They’re right, man. We did this to ourselves. They’re offering to help us... with no strings attached! I’m freakin’ crying because for the first time since I woke up to this nightmare, I got hope!”

“Look Freddy,” Ken said. “Do you remember last year when Mr. Douglas showed us that movie ‘Forrest Gump’ in social studies?”

“Yeah, about that dumb guy,” Freddy replied with mixed emotions.

“Well you remember Lieutenant Dan,” Ken answered. “Forrest saved him after he had his legs blown off. He hated the world but dumb old Forrest just kept plugging away and trying to cheer him up. It was only when he quit feeling sorry for himself that he was able to make something of his life. That’s what you’ve got to do. The rest of us, we’re sort of like Forrest, we just want to help you.”

Freddy’s tough shell began to crack. Now that he’d been reminded of Lieutenant Dan he could see the pitiful angry cripple, much the way he pictured himself. Tears appeared in his eyes. “I don’t want to be a loser.”

“Everyone at school has your back,” Phil spoke up. “Just like they do for Dwayne and me. All you gotta do is let them do it.”

‘I don’t know how,” Freddy muttered. “I can’t remember anyone helping me. My mom was killed when I was in first grade when my dad ran off the road when he was drunk. He and I weren’t even hurt but mom... she was just gone. After that, my dad just didn’t give a shit. I had to take care of myself. I had to kiss his ass to buy me clothes and food. Once I got a little older I’d just take money from his wallet when he passed out drunk and get what I needed. I shoplifted a lot of stuff, and outright stole others. The doctors at Johns Hopkins said my old man never even called to see how I was. I haven’t heard a freakin’ word from him. Even if I get better and can get of here, he won’t do a damn thing to help me. Even if I could get home, I couldn’t get inside or get around inside. The place is pretty well trashed. I got no where to go.”

“You will,” Krista declared. “I don’t know where, but we’ll get something set up for you. You just concentrate on getting better and learning how to live with your physical issues.”

“Nobody would want to take in a scumbag like me,” Freddy scoffed. “What are you gonna do, have your parents take me in too?”

“If it comes down to that, yes,” Krista replied in a tone that left no doubt that was exactly what she’d do.

Freddy shook his head. “Why?”

“Because you deserve a chance,” Krista answered simply.

“If we had room, my mom would take you in,” Barney said. “You know she’s always been there for you if you really needed something.”

“She just felt sorry for me,” Freddy rebutted. “That plus you were my best friend.”

“I’m still your best friend,” Barney declared. “Look man, with everyone behind us, we can do this. We just gotta take it slow and ease into it.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Freddy sniffed. “What other choice do we have?”

“You’ve always got a choice,” Krista stated. “What matters is if it’s a positive or negative choice.”

Freddy and Barney nodded their heads.

“I’m glad to see you’ve got some visitors,” Dr. Olsen declared as she stepped into the room. “I came to gather these three,” she indicated Jaz, Dwayne, and Phil. “It’s time I took them into the torture chamber to work them over.”

Gwen and Ken stayed and talked with Freddy and Barney about school and what the scuttlebut was about the accident and their injuries. Both boys were surprised to hear nearly everyone was concerned for their well-being.

*****