Cj

CJ Chapter 37

Chapter 36 resulted in the highest number of emails from my readers!! Over 30 so far and counting. I guess that a chapter with some sex and intensity is what you like. Thanks for your positive comments.

Hang on readers, this chapter will be intense!!!

CJ Chapter 37 Turmoil and Terror on the CSU Campus

Things happened fast on the CSU campus after Isaac had made his speech and left the 25 pledge pins on Tom Jankowski's plate. The pledges were all upset that their appeal to the members of the Delta Delta Delta Fraternity had been refused, and they were determined to stick together. It was almost noon the next day before the shit hit the fan.

Saul Bernstein was in Oregon and immediately made flight arrangements to return to California after the phone call from his son. For the first time since he had adopted Chris, he was unable to calm him down and reason with him. Saul's cell phone was constantly ringing, as important people from the CSU campus called him to come and help restore sanity to the campus.

"Mike, this is Saul Bernstein," Saul said as he called Mike's cell phone. "What the hell is going on? Chris called me and said he's leaving CSU to transfer to Michigan State University! He was so upset that I couldn't understand half of what he was saying! I've never heard him so upset! Did you guys have a falling out, or what else could cause him to leave CSU? I'm being flooded with calls from coaches and everyone on campus about some crap that's going on."

Mike was sobbing uncontrollably as he tried to explain to Saul what had happened with the pledge class and how he had refused to help Chris get Taran qualified for Help Week. He explained that the members had met and had a very heated meeting over losing their entire pledge class because of the stubbornness of two members.

"Jonathan Crawford called me and said that 25 of the most talented freshmen and sophomores were at the Administration Building when it opened this morning," Saul continued. "They all asked for official transcripts and said they were quitting CSU. Now I hear that those guys have all packed up and moved out of their dorms, and have left the campus. What the hell is going on?"

"I love Chris so much!" Mike sobbed. "He asked me to help him, and I didn't do it! What can I do? I don't want to live without Chris, but he told me he doesn't want to see me or hear from me! They all cut all of their classes, and we're worried that they'll do something stupid. I tried to call Chris's cell phone, but all I get is a message that his number is not in service!"

"Chris and his pledge buddies changed their cell phone numbers," Saul explained. "I've got Chris's new number, but he made me promise not to give it to you or anyone else from the fraternity. I've always been able to reason with him, but now I can't. I'm flying back to California today, and I hope I can help restore some sanity."

"Tom and Chao took a real beating in our membership meeting," Mike said. "They finally admitted that they were being assholes for the way they handled Taran and the rest of the pledge class. We wanted a unified pledge class, and we got it, but now we lost all of them. We all want the entire pledge class back, but we don't know how to talk to them. Please tell me where Chris is so I can beg his forgiveness!"

"Lock the doors to the house," Saul advised. "I've already called Brian Williams to provide a security shield until we get this shit straightened out. The CSU Administration is furious, along with the athletic coaches and players at the thought of losing these talented men. I don't want anyone getting hurt until I can try to help sort things out, as I've heard that a lot of people want to punish the fraternity members. I don't want to use my position in the fraternity, but Tom and Chao were way out of line. Other guys have lost their pledge books during pledgeship, but I've never heard of a member who refused to sign a second interview. I was one of the guys who lost his pledge book, and the members made it tough on me, but they never refused to sign the interviews. I know Chris is very upset, but I hope that I can calm him down when I get there."

"I need to see him to apologize," Mike begged. "Please tell me where he is so I can beg his forgiveness. Chris saved my life, and I've lost him. I can't live without him!"

"It might be too late to keep Chris and his buddies from leaving CSU," Saul admitted. "I know that Chris loves you, but only time will tell if his love for you can overcome his anger. I've seen the way you guys are together, and even if Chris leaves CSU, he's still your lover. It might take a while, but he'll come back to you. He's never been in love with anyone the way he's in love with you. He's a huge guy with immense strength, but inside, he's still a young boy. He's been abused and hurt in the past, but you're what he needs to be happy. I'm his adoptive father, but you're his life partner. Call your parents and ask them to help you calm down until I can get to Chris."

Mike was sobbing as he agreed to call his parents and ask for their help. He wished that he could talk to Chris, but knew that it wasn't possible until things settled down.

In the CSU Administration Building, the faculty was livid. They had seen students quit their university before, but they had never seen 25 of the most talented students come in at the same time to request transcripts and formally quit. David Patrick and Marcus Knight quickly found out about the resignations, and were shocked. When they found out that their star athletes were leaving because of a problem at the Delta Delta Delta Fraternity, they were livid. John Stevens had all he could do to keep his two head coaches from attacking the members of the fraternity for fucking up the best recruiting class in the history of CSU.

Chris and his buddies had moved out of their dorm rooms and had temporarily moved into the nearest Holidome. They shared some of the special suites and talked about their concerns about leaving the CSU campus. None of them wanted to leave the CSU campus, but they were committed to staying together. Even if they wouldn't get pledge bids to the MSU chapter of the Delta Delta Delta Fraternity, they would remain a unified group. If one guy was refused, they would all refuse a pledge bid and finish their college years as independents.

Jarvis had insisted that Chris talk to Brice Cox and ask him to continue his physical therapy. Chris didn't want to make contact with anyone on the CSU campus, but knew that Brice was a special friend, and would listen to him and help him with therapy. He called Brice, and was surprised that his training buddy would clear the training room for him and Jarvis, as long as the two guys would talk to him honestly.

"I've heard a lot of shit," Brice said as Chris and Jarvis came into the training center. "I love both of you guys, and I sure don't want to see you leave here! John Stevens told me that if I heard from any of you guys that I had to call him immediately. I'd give up my job here before I'd violate the trust and love I have for you guys! I've never worked with two guys who have more talent and determination than you two have, so I hope that things can be worked out so you stay here with me! I'll punish you with exercises, but I'll also hug you as the two best athletes I've ever met!"

Chris and Jarvis both hugged Brice and thanked him for being their buddy. As the training coach, Brice had put them through hell, but they respected him for getting them ready for college competition.

"I'm still gonna kick your ass when I get healthy!" Chris exclaimed.

"I'd welcome the opportunity to be your punching bag!" Brice laughed. "You're a fucking mess, and I can run away from you any time you try to nail me!"

"I love you!" Chris said as he hugged Brice again. "My buddies and I are really upset about things that have happened here, and you know by now that Jarvis and I are leaving CSU. I need your therapy to help me heal from my injuries, and I know you're putting your job on the line by helping me. I hope that you won't lose your job by us being here today."

"Let's get you healthy, and worry about other shit later," Brice said.

Chris and Jarvis were both challenged by the exercises that Brice ordered them to perform. Chris was working on his leg exercises, while Jarvis was challenged with weight lifting. Both guys were exhausted before Brice told them to hit the showers, knowing that Chris was now able to walk short distances without assistance.

Brice looked at the two handsome athletes and prayed that they would both remain on the CSU campus. He was happily married, but knew that Chris was totally in love with Mike Mahley, and that Jarvis was in a serious relationship with Justin Abernathy. He was determined to help the two guys find happiness in life, even if it meant they had to leave the CSU campus to find it.

"You get in the weight room and relax while I get some ice," Brice said to Chris.

"I'll go with you so I can get some ice water for me and Chris," Jarvis said.

Saul was at the airport when his cell phone rang again. It was Jason Gardner calling him from the duplex in Fremont.

"Saul, the State Police just called here," Jason said hurriedly. "Some guy named Larry Carmody escaped when he and some other inmates were being transferred to a different prison. The State Police think he might be heading for the CSU campus. Who's Larry Carmody?"

"OH, MY GOD!!" Saul exclaimed. "He's the guy that tried to kill Chris and Joe McClure when Chris was 15! He swore that he'd kill them both if he ever got out of prison! I'm gonna call Chris right now! You call the fraternity and make sure Joe knows about Larry. Tell the members that the pledges are at the Holidome registered under my name. We have to warn everyone!"

Larry Carmody was smiling as he drove toward the CSU campus. The State Correction van that was transporting him and three other inmates to a different prison was hit broadside by a drunk driver. The guard in the back of the van was killed instantly along with one of the prisoners, while the driver of the van was unconscious. Larry and the other two prisoners found the keys on the dead guard and unlocked the shackles that had been put on them for the transport. Larry grabbed the guard's handgun and pistol whipped a woman to steal her car. He was only about an hour away from the campus and was determined to find CJ Hammer and Joe McClure and kill them both. He was happy that the woman had a cell phone in her car, and he quickly called the apartment where some of the Phi Tau Alpha members were living.

Brian Williams, Chief of Campus Security, called in everyone who was off duty when he heard that Larry Carmody had escaped. He had officers out with the local sheriff deputies arresting any Phi Tau member they could find, and had sent officers to protect the members of the Tri-Delt Fraternity. The State Crime Lab had completed testing the evidence taken when the Phi Tau Alpha Fraternity was raided, and confirmed that heroin, crack cocaine, and Rohypnol had been confiscated. This was too much for the small security force to handle, and Brian quickly called the sheriff and State Police for assistance.

Saul was terrified when he realized that Chris's cell phone was turned off. He frantically searched for the phone number of the suite where Chris was staying.

Isaac answered the phone and shared in Saul's terror when he heard that Larry Carmody had escaped. He told Saul that Chris and Jarvis had gone to the Athletic Complex to exercise with Brice Cox. He promised to call the Training Room and get his pledge buddies together and rush there as fast as possible. Isaac screamed for his pledge buddies and they all ran to their cars as Isaac quickly dialed Campus Security and the fraternity to beg for help finding Chris and Jarvis.

Larry Carmody arrived at the apartment where the Phi Tau's were hurriedly packing, knowing that their members were being arrested. They all knew that they were going to prison and blamed the Tri-Delts for turning them in to Campus Security. Larry was able to convince the remaining Phi Tau members that they had to find CJ Hammer and kill him. The members were high on cocaine, and quickly agreed to find CJ and kill him.

Chuck Fahey ran into the apartment and was going to pack and leave the state when he heard the plans to find CJ and kill him. "I saw Hammer and his buddy Jarvis going into the Athletic Complex," Chuck said. "I'll bet he's still there!"

The Phi Tau members grabbed baseball bats and any other objects that could be used as a weapon and piled into Chuck's van to drive to the campus. They arrived at the building before any security officers had been notified about where Chris and Jarvis were.

Chris was standing in the weight room, removing the large weights from the bench press bar. He had all of the weights off when he heard the door open. Fear coursed through his body as he faced ten men armed with baseball bats. Standing in the front of the group was Larry Carmody and Tom Broadbent. Chris knew that he was looking at certain death.

"I finally get my revenge!" Larry said to Chris. "For the last four years I've dreamed about this moment! Today, you're gonna die!"

Chris held onto the long steel bar and squared off against his attackers. The weight room was filled with equipment that would slow the attackers down, but he knew he wouldn't be able to stop them all. As soon as the first guy attacked him, Chris swung the steel bar and broke the guy's neck, spinning around quickly to slam the bar across the ribs of another attacker. The Phi Tau's were so buzzed on cocaine that they were fearless and stumbled around the weight room equipment to attack Chris. Chris was in a full Karate trance as he whipped the heavy bar around like it was a toothpick, slamming it into the bodies of his attackers. A glancing blow knocked the bat out of Larry's hand and he slammed against the wall of the room. Two more Phi Tau's dropped to the floor dead before Chris rammed the end of the bar into Tom Broadbent's chest. The force was so intense that the bar pierced Tom's chest and heart before it came out of his back.

Jarvis and Brice heard the sounds from the weight room and ran in at the same time that the pledges and members had arrived, along with Brian Williams and two security officers.

Jarvis screamed as he saw the Phi Tau's overpower Chris. The deadly bats connected with Chris's body, breaking his leg, arm and ribs. A sickening sound filled the air as a bat connected with Chris's head and he fell to the floor. Jarvis had grown up in a tough neighborhood, and had been in many gang fights before he started playing sports and changed his life. He screamed as he grabbed Chuck Fahey and snapped his neck like a twig.

Brice picked up one of the bats from the floor and smashed the skull of another Phi Tau. The members and pledges overwhelmed the remaining attackers and beat and kicked them until three shots rang out. Larry Carmody had pulled the handgun out of his jacket and was going to kill as many people as he could. Brian Williams was standing there with both hands on his Glock 9 mm pistol. He had fired three shots into Larry's chest before Larry had a chance to use his stolen weapon on anyone.

"GET SOME AMBULANCES HERE!!" Brian screamed to his officers as he made sure Larry was dead. He then ran over to where Chris was lying on the floor with blood pouring out of his head. "HE'S STILL BREATHING!" Brian screamed. "GET BACK SO HE CAN BREATHE!"

In Boston, Randall Carpenter was having lunch with his brother when he suddenly jumped up screaming, "CHRIS!! CHRIS IS HURT!! HE'S HURT BAD!!"

The people in the restaurant were shocked at the way Randy was screaming. The twins ran out of the restaurant to get to Charlie's Ferrari. Randy called Jonathan Carpenter and told him that they had to fly to California immediately.

Jonathan knew that Randy could connect mentally with Chris, and listened as Randy described the injuries to his son. If Randy was correct, Chris could be dead. He told his sons to meet him at the airport as he screamed for Carol to call their pilot. He ran out of the house and jumped in his Mercedes to head for the airport. He grabbed his cell phone and called Saul to find out any information about Chris.

Saul was boarding the flight to California when he got the call from Jonathan. He nearly collapsed when he heard that Chris had been attacked and was hurt bad. He screamed at a flight attendant who tried to get him to turn off his cell phone as he listened to Jonathan. Saul said he would call Mike and get information and then call Jonathan back.

Mike had demanded that he go with his brothers to the Athletic Complex. He prayed that they would get there in time to warn Chris about Larry Carmody. Members and pledges were running into the building as two of the members carried Mike inside. Before they ever got Mike to the Weight Room, they heard three shots ring out. They tried to get into the Weight Room, but were pushed back by members and pledges who had been ordered out of the room.

"WHERE'S CHRIS?" Mike screamed.

Jarvis was standing in front of Mike with tears flowing down his face. He had blood all over his shirt, face and fists from attacking the Phi Tau's. "Chris is hurt bad!" Jarvis choked out. "His head is split open! They attacked him with baseball bats, and busted him up really bad!"

"NOOOOOOO!!" Mike screamed. "TAKE ME TO CHRIS!! I'VE GOTTA SEE HIM!!"

Jarvis knew that Brian Williams had ordered everyone out of the Weight Room, but realized that Chris might die from his injuries. He pushed aside the two members who were holding Mike and carried him into the room where Brice was trying to stabilize Chris.

"NOOOOOO!!" Mike screamed as he saw his best friend and lover lying in a pool of blood. "CHRIS!! PLEASE DON'T DIE ON ME!! THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!! I LOVE YOU!!"

"GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" Brice ordered. "Chris is still breathing and we don't need to upset him if he can hear anything!"

Mike struggled to get out of the arms of Jarvis. He wanted to touch Chris and stay with him, but Brice and Brian were adamant that everyone leave the room to calm things down. Brice had retrieved an oxygen bottle from the emergency cabinet and was holding the mask in front of Chris's face. He was afraid to move Chris's head to hook the mask properly.

The sounds of ambulances screamed across the campus. The paramedics rushed into the Weight Room and were ordered by Brian Williams to take care of Chris first. Eight of the 10 attackers were dead and the other two had been severely beaten by the members and pledges. As soon as the paramedics took over, Brian got on his radio to talk to the dispatcher in the Campus Security office. He ordered all officers to the Athletic Complex to control the growing crowd.

Mike was hysterical, and had to be restrained by Jarvis and Brendan. He wanted to be with Chris and was screaming and sobbing uncontrollably.

Jonathan Crawford rushed in along with John Stevens and other members of the faculty. Brice hugged his boss, John Stevens and sobbed.

"This is my fault!" Brice sobbed. "I left Chris alone in the weight room to get ice for his legs. I should have left Jarvis with him!"

"How bad is he?" Jonathan Crawford asked.

"His head is split open!" Brice sobbed. "He's struggling to breathe and I'm sure his left lung was punctured by his ribs when they broke. His right leg is broken above and below the knee, and his left arm is broken in two places. He's still alive, but his head injury is severe!"

"Did you get the bastards that did this?" John Stevens asked.

"The room is covered with dead bodies!" Brice replied. "Chris took out four of them before the rest got to him with baseball bats. Two of the fuckers are still alive, but eight of them are dead!"

"HOLY FUCK!" Jonathan Crawford exclaimed. "This is the worst thing that's ever happened on this campus! Let's all pray for Chris!"

Mike's cell phone was ringing, but he couldn't hear it over his own screams and sobs. Isaac grabbed the phone and answered it. It was Saul Bernstein, and Isaac knew he was on his way back to California from Oregon. He took the cell phone away from Mike, as he didn't want B to hear Mike's screams.

"Quick, tell me how my son is!" Saul demanded.

Isaac knew that there was nothing Saul could do until he got to the hospital. He didn't want to describe the horrible scene in the Weight Room, as it might cause Saul to have a heart attack.

"Chris is hurt bad," Isaac began. "Ten guys with baseball bats attacked him. The paramedics are taking care of Chris and should be taking him to the hospital real soon. He's busted up bad, but he's still alive."

Saul was hoping that Randy Carpenter had been wrong when he told him about Chris's injuries. He felt helpless sitting in an airplane, wishing that he was holding his son's hand.

"I'll be at the airport in an hour," Saul said. "Please pray for my son!"

"We'll have someone pick you up," Isaac promised. "You shouldn't be driving when you're upset. All the members and pledges are here, and we're all praying for Chris."

Saul hung up the airplane phone and sobbed. The flight attendant had learned of the tragedy and offered Saul aspirin or something to drink. A doctor was on board the flight and gave Saul some Valium to calm him down. Word spread quickly through the airplane about the critical injuries to CJ Hammer and that his father was in the first class section.

Mike struggled to try and get up when he saw the paramedics wheel Chris out of the Weight Room on the gurney. He looked at the face of his lover and saw that Chris was white as a ghost. The bandages around his head were soaked with blood, and Mike threw up all over himself, Jarvis and Brendan.

"They're taking him to Mercy General," Brian said to Mike. "We'll take you there in a cruiser. You guys get some clean clothes for Mike and take them to the hospital. I'll send another cruiser to pick up Saul and get him to the hospital."

"I don't want any of you guys driving!" Jonathan Crawford ordered. "We'll get a bus to take all of you to the hospital. We don't need another tragedy on this campus!"

The Campus Security officers had to hold back the Tri-Delt members and pledges as the two injured Phi Tau's were wheeled out of the Weight Room. The members and pledges wanted to kill the bastards, and wished that they had finished them when they had the chance.

Mercy General was pure bedlam when the ambulances arrived. Dr. Mahley rushed to the Trauma Unit and was terrified by the injuries he saw on Chris. He had already summoned Dr. Jeffrey Patterson, the best neurosurgeon in the state to treat Chris. Poppa Mike demanded to be in the operating room for the examination, and feared that his third son was going to die from his severe injuries.

Saul had arrived and was frantic to see his son, but found out that Chris had been taken to surgery. He sat next to Mike and joined him in sobbing and praying. It was over an hour later when Poppa Mike and Dr. Patterson came into the waiting room.

"He's in critical condition," Poppa Mike said to Saul and Mike. "He's alive, but he's struggling to breathe."

"Your son's head injuries are severe," Dr. Patterson said to Saul. "His brain is badly swollen, and we can't do anything to relieve the pressure other than medicate him. His left lung is collapsed, but we can't operate on him in his current condition. We've got him on a respirator, but all we can do now is pray for him. I'm not giving up hope, but I have to be honest with you by saying his condition is very grave."

"I know you want to see him," Poppa Mike said to Saul and his son. "I'll break the rules and let you see him for a few seconds, but I beg you to control your emotions when you see him. He might be aware of anything that you do or say, even though he is unconscious. He looks terrible, so I have to have your promises to control yourselves or I won't let you in to see him."

"I've got to see him!" Mike demanded. "This is all my fault for not helping him and his pledge buddies! If I'd done what he asked, he wouldn't have quit the fraternity and school!"

"You weren't the one with a baseball bat," Saul said to Mike. "Chris loves you. He told me that when we talked on the phone. Let's go see him and pray for his recovery."

Mike and Saul weren't prepared for what waited for them in the ICU. Chris's head was so swollen that they wouldn't have recognized him. His handsome face now looked like a balloon due to the massive swelling. They were shocked at the multitude of tubes and wires running out of Chris's body. Saul helped Mike get out of the wheelchair so he could lean over and give Chris a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you!" Mike choked out. "Please don't die on me! I was wrong for not calling a special meeting! Please forgive me!"

"I love you too, son," Saul said softly as he kissed Chris's cheek. "You're a fighter, and now you need to fight for your life! Mike and I both need you!"

Poppa Mike was with them, and took his turn to give Chris a kiss. "You're my third son," Poppa Mike said. "Mary and I both love you and want you to keep fighting to live. We need you healthy to keep our family complete."

Poppa Mike then told Saul and his son that they had to leave the room. He promised to stay with Chris and monitor his condition.

Saul and Mike left the ICU and stayed in the special waiting room for family members of patients under ICU care. They told Helen Waterson, Sam, Kate and Jason Gardner, and Mary Mahley what they had seen of Chris's condition. The small group bowed their heads together in prayer for Chris's survival.

Craig Golden, PR Director for Mercy General Hospital, had set up an area for the media that were arriving to cover the breaking news. Jane Vincent was one of the first reporters to arrive with her television crew, and gave her introductory statements.

"This is Jane Vincent of Channel 12 Fox News reporting live from Mercy General Hospital," Jane began. "A series of tragic events has hit California today. A serious car accident in Los Angeles resulted in the escape of three inmates of the California State Correctional Facilities. One of them was Larry Carmody, a man who was convicted of a series of charges that included attempted murder on the CSU campus. An anonymous source has told us that Carmody and nine other men connected with the California State University brutally attacked CJ Hammer at the campus Athletic Complex today. Our source stated that eight men are dead and three are being treated here at this hospital. As we all know, CJ Hammer was recently crowned as the World Champion of the World Karate Federation. CJ is in critical condition from the injuries he sustained during the attack, and we're waiting for Craig Golden, Public Relations Director for Mercy General Hospital to address us and give us an update on CJ's condition. I consider CJ a personal friend, as he has been a delight to interview with his unique sense of humor. My husband and I have enjoyed several meals with Chris and his father, Saul Bernstein, and I know the viewing audience will join me in praying for Chris's recovery. I see Craig Golden approaching the podium, so let's listen to his comments."

"I'm Craig Golden, Public Relations Director for Mercy General Hospital," he began. "Today our facility was alerted that we would be receiving three severely injured young men as a result of a serious confrontation on the CSU campus. I can only identify one of the three men by name, as we're waiting for notification of the families of the other two men. CJ Hammer has undergone a preliminary examination by our staff, and his injuries are life threatening. His skull is severely fractured from what we hear was a blow to his head by a baseball bat. He has several broken ribs that have punctured his left lung, and his left arm and right leg have multiple fractures. He's currently on life support, and his condition is critical. One of the other men involved in the altercation is in critical condition, while the other is in guarded condition. Until we contact the families of the other two men, I'm not allowed to give out any information on their specific injuries. I will not answer any questions, as I've given you all the information that I can legally provide. As any updates are available, I'll notify you so you can be ready for my information."

Across the nation, people watched the news bulletin and were shocked to hear what had happened on the CSU campus. Other broadcasts covered the car accident that led to the escape of Larry Carmody. The other two convicts had been caught after they led the police on a high-speed chase through Los Angeles. Details of the brutal attack on the CSU campus only identified the attackers as members of a fraternity that had been kicked off campus. The bulletins noted that eight men were dead and three were being treated at Mercy General Hospital.

The main waiting room at the hospital was filled to overflowing, as students and faculty from CSU came to join the vigil for their friend, CJ Hammer. The hospital security force was stretched to the limit to control traffic jams in the parking lots and the huge crowd that left only standing room in the waiting room and hallways.

Poppa Mike continued to give Saul and Mike updates on Chris's condition. The swelling of Chris's brain had continued, despite the medications. Chris's condition was worsening, and Mike Senior didn't want to admit to himself that Chris was dying. He was talking to the small group in the ICU waiting room when the public address system barked out, "CODE BLUE IN ICU!"

Poppa Mike ran back into the ICU and saw the crash cart being wheeled into the room of William Lawson. He was relieved that the cart wasn't going into Chris's room, but immediately went to help the other physicians handle the critical situation.

Everyone in the ICU waiting room was terrified that the Code Blue was for Chris, and hugged each other as they waited for news. It was almost 20 minutes later when Poppa Mike returned and announced that William Lawson had died. The group was relieved that it wasn't Chris that had died, but also knew that the same fate awaited him if his condition continued to deteriorate.

The Carpenter Lear Jet was getting close to the airport when Randy stopped talking in the middle of a sentence and fainted. Jonathan and Charlie Carpenter knew that Randy was trying to make contact with Chris, and feared that something bad had happened. Jonathan knew that cell phones weren't allowed in a hospital, but he tried to call Saul as Charlie held his twin brother.

" CODE BLUE IN ICU!" rang through the waiting room. Saul and the other people were terrified; knowing that Chris was the only other patient in the ICU.

In Chris's room, the physicians worked quickly to attend to Chris. His heart had stopped beating and the shock paddles were being readied. Poppa Mike was giving the orders as he tried to bring Chris back to life.

"GIVE ME MORE POWER!" Mike Senior commanded, as Chris didn't respond to the first jolt from the defibrillator. Two more increased jolts were used, but Chris's body remained lifeless.

"GIVE ME THE ADRENALIN!" Dr. Mahley commanded. He took the huge syringe and jammed it through Chris's chest and directly into his heart. He waited for a reaction, and grabbed the paddles to apply more shocks to start Chris's heart. His efforts were unsuccessful.

"We've lost him," Dr. Sharon Mattison said.

"I CAN'T LOSE HIM!" Poppa Mike shouted. "HE"S MY SON!"

"He's gone, Mike," Sharon said. "For the record, I mark the time as 14:25. I know he's a special person to you, so I'll sign the papers."

Mike Senior sobbed as he realized that Chris was dead. He couldn't control his emotions as he sobbed on the shoulder of Sharon Mattison. "He's my son's lover," Mike Senior sobbed. "How can I tell my son and Chris's dad that I didn't save his life?"

"We all knew that his head injuries were severe," Dr. Jeffrey Patterson said. "I've never seen a patient with injuries that severe last more than a few minutes. I'll inform the family, as I know you're very attached to this fine young man. Sharon, get some Valium injections ready, as we don't want any more tragedies here today."

Mike Senior dreaded facing the people in the ICU waiting room, but knew he had to tell them the truth. When he walked into the waiting room, he saw that Sam Gardner was talking on a cell phone and realized by the conversation that he was talking to Jonathan Carpenter.

Saul and Mike looked up at the tears running down Mike Senior's face, and knew that he had tragic news for them.

"I'm sorry," Mike Senior sobbed. "We tried everything, but we lost him!"

Saul passed out as the emotion of losing his son hit his brain. Mike was screaming and trying to hit his father in anger for not saving Chris's life. He was hysterical, as his parents and Jason Gardner tried to restrain him. Dr. Mattison quickly injected Mike with the Valium and tried to hold back her own tears. The world had just lost a fantastic person who was also a gifted athlete.

Author's Note:

I could have ended this chapter here, but I sure don't think that's the way I should treat my loyal readers. In past chapters there were premonitions that tragedy would strike our main character. I don't like stories that leave the reader hanging until the next chapter is posted, so this story will continue. Remember the Power of the Cherokee Nation!!!!!!!

Word spread quickly through the hospital that Chris had died, and the waiting room was filled with sobbing students and faculty. The news media realized that they had to get ready for the formal announcement from Craig Golden, and began making their opening comments to their audiences.

Jane Vincent was devastated and gave the microphone to one of her assistants. She was sobbing at the loss of her favorite athlete, and knew she couldn't control her emotions to complete the broadcast.

Sam Gardner was talking to Jonathan Carpenter, and told him that Chris had died. Jonathan and his family wailed in grief at the loss of their family member. The co-pilot of the plane had run back to the passenger cabin to attend to Randy who was still unconscious. The co-pilot used smelling salts to bring Randy back to consciousness, and knew that the family was in grief over the loss of their loved one.

Randy struggled to get up after the smelling salts brought him back to consciousness. He saw his entire family sobbing and heard his father say that Chris had died at the hospital.

"He's not dead!" Randy blurted out. "He made contact with me and said White Cloud was with him! He's gonna live!"

"Jonathan Carpenter quickly called Saul's cell phone again to tell him what Randy had said. Sam Gardner answered the phone and couldn't believe what Jonathan was saying.

"Today at 2:45 p.m.," Craig Golden said to the media, "CJ Hammer died in the Intensive Care Unit of this hospital. As I said earlier, his head injuries were severe, and his heart failed. The best efforts of our staff were unsuccessful in restoring his body to life. I know that all of us are saddened to lose this fantastic young man, and I ask that you all pray for his family during this time of terrible loss. I've been involved with CJ Hammer's family in the past and I'm too upset to answer any questions at this time."

Mike Senior was hugging his son, Mike as the Valium took effect. Nurses were attending to Saul and Helen, who were both overcome with emotions as Sam Gardner listened to Jonathan Carpenter.

"Saul, Randy says Chris isn't dead!" Sam yelled. "Randy says Chris is with White Cloud!"

"Dr. Mahley!" a nurse yelled. "Come quickly! We're getting a pulse on him!"

Mike Senior left his son in the arms of his wife and ran into Chris's ICU Room.

"He's got a weak pulse, but it seems to be getting stronger!" the nurse announced.

"MY GOD, LOOK AT HIS FACE!" Poppa Mike screamed. "THE SWELLING IS GOING DOWN!"

Poppa Mike quickly started the oxygen flow and called for Dr. Jeffrey Patterson to return to the ICU. The ICU was a flurry of activity, as everyone realized that the patient that they had considered dead was alive and struggling to breathe on his own.

Dr. Patterson was shocked to see Chris's vital signs indicating that he was alive. He had witnessed the efforts of the other doctors as they tried to restore Chris's heartbeat, and knew that the patient was dead. He now saw a completely different patient, as the brain swelling was going down, along with all of the swelling of the patient's face. He was looking at a completely different person, and prayed that he would be able to help save a young man's life.

"His pulse is getting stronger, Dr. Mahley," the nurse announced.

"This has happened to Chris before," Poppa Mike said to the other doctors. "The hospital board doesn't want anyone to know that Chris's grandfather was a Cherokee medicine man and passed on some of his powers to Chris. Chris has twin brothers who are flying here from Boston and they have special powers too. One of them can connect telepathically with Chris and the other can transfer strength to Chris. We need the Carpenter twins here to help us treat Chris!"

Mike Senior left the room, knowing that the other doctors would attend to Chris. He ran to the ICU waiting room to give the fantastic news to Saul and Mike.

"HE'S ALIVE!!" Mike Senior screamed with tears of joy flowing down his face. "His pulse is getting stronger and the swelling in his brain and face is going down!"

Saul was gasping for air as he listened to Mike Senior, wondering if he was dreaming what was being said. Helen was hugging him with tears flowing down her face.

Young Mike was in a daze. He heard the words from his father, but couldn't believe that his buddy had come back to life. The feel of his dad's hug brought Mike back to reality. He demanded to hear the news again, not believing what he had heard the first time. He reverted back to his childhood as he hugged his dad the way he had done when he was a young boy. He needed the reassurance from his mother and father as he was an emotional wreck.

"We need to do some things fast," Mike Senior said. "We need someone to meet the Carpenters at the airport and get the twins here as fast as possible. They can help us treat Chris. We also need to tell the people in the main waiting room that Chris is alive. I've paged Craig Golden and he's on his way here right now. I think the friends in the waiting room should hear this great news before the media does."

Jason and Kate Gardner agreed to tell Chris's friends the news and find someone to pick up the Carpenter family. The sobs and wails in the main waiting room turned to silence as Jason and Kate told the mourning people that Chris was alive. Disbelief turned into restrained celebration, as the friends still were worried that Chris would have another cardiac arrest and die. Brian Williams quickly agreed to send two cruisers to the airport to pick up the Carpenter family.

The Carpenter Lear Jet had just pulled up to the private airplane terminal when two Campus Security vehicles pulled up with their flashers going. The family was quickly taken to Mercy General Hospital with flashers and sirens clearing their paths. As soon as the Carpenters arrived at the hospital they were rushed into the ICU waiting room. Everyone was hugging as Poppa Mike came out and grabbed the twins and took them to room so they could put on hospital gowns.

"His brain isn't awake," Randy said. "I can't make contact with him and Charlie can't give him any strength until his brain wakes up."

The doctors were all concerned that Chris's head injuries might prevent him from ever achieving any level of consciousness again.

"Can we stay here in his room?" Randy asked. "Charlie and I need to be close to him. The last time he connected to me was for only a few seconds."

"Get some chairs in here!" Poppa Mike ordered. "You two sit close to his bed so if he makes contact you can help us treat him!"

The family was allowed to see Chris, and everyone was afraid that he would die from his injuries. They returned to the ICU waiting room to pray for Chris.

It was almost three hours later when Poppa Mike was talking softly to Randy and Charlie. Randy's face drained of all emotion as he held up his hand to get the other people to stop talking.

"Touch him now!" Randy said to Charlie.

Charlie quickly held Chris's right hand and felt energy leaving his body. Poppa Mike and Dr. Mattison saw Charlie collapse in the chair and waited for Randy to tell them what Chris was feeling.

"He thinks he's dead!" Randy said. "I told him that he's alive, but he's struggling to breathe. He can't feel any part of his body except his head and he's in great pain. I told him that everyone is here and Mike loves him and blames himself for Chris being hurt. He said he loves Mike and will fight to live. White Cloud took him to a lake in the middle of a meadow and washed him and performed the Circle of Smoke ceremony to heal him. Then he broke off contact with me."

"We need to react to this information," Poppa Mike said. "It's very risky to operate on his ribs and lung, but his pulse is stronger after Charlie helped him. I'll talk to the family."

Poppa Mike talked to Saul and Jonathan and explained what he had learned from Randy and how Charlie had improved Chris's pulse. He explained that Chris might be paralyzed, as he couldn't feel any part of his body except his head. That wasn't a good sign, but pain can drain the body of its energy.

"You two dads need to decide if you want to authorize surgery to get his ribs back in position and try to repair his lung," Poppa Mike said to Saul and Jonathan Carpenter. "It's very risky, as his body is weak from the severe injuries."

"You're his father too," Saul said, "and I want Mike involved in this decision too. Tell us what you think we should do."

The group of family and close friends discussed the risks and benefits for several minutes. None of them wanted to have Chris die on the operating table, but they also wanted to help him breathe, hoping that his body would handle the surgery. Poppa Mike said that he would take the risk, as Chris needed some relief from his pain and breathing problems.

Three hours later, Poppa Mike came into the waiting room with good news. Chris's ribs had been pinned back in place and his lung had been repaired and inflated. Shortly after the surgery was completed, Randy and Charlie were able to connect with Chris again, and his vital signs were improving.

"It still might be too soon to celebrate," Poppa Mike said, "but I'm thrilled with the progress. Randy said that Chris wants a kiss from Mike, and that's a wonderful message for all of us! The swelling in Chris's brain has gone down drastically, and I can only credit White Cloud for that. This is gonna be a long haul for everyone, and I think we should be making some arrangements for places for people to stay. I want Randy and Charlie to stay here in the hospital, as they connections to Chris are vital to his survival."

Everyone hugged at hearing the good news. Mike was exhausted, but refused to leave the hospital. He said that his fraternity brothers would bring clothes for him and the twins. He begged to be taken to see Chris and give him a kiss. Poppa Mike pushed his son's wheelchair into the ICU room so he could see Chris and give him a kiss. He saw the love that his son had in his eyes as he kissed Chris and begged him to fight to live.

Arrangements were made for the family and friends to stay at the Sheraton Hotel, as it was the closest to the hospital complex. Tri-Delt members loaned their cars to the special people in Chris's life so they could get back and forth to the hospital.

That weekend, the CSU Falcons played an away game against USC and won the game by a score of 14 to 7. All of the pledges had be reinstated as active students by the CSU faculty, and the pledges returned to their pledge duties. They refused to wear their pledge pins until Chris was out of danger, and spent a lot of time at the hospital to pray for Chris and wait for any updates.

Chris remained in a comatose state for the next three days, but his vital signs remained steady. Randy and Charlie continued their vigil at the hospital, hoping that Chris would make contact with them again. Mike had to be forced to return to the campus, but ignored the lectures of his professors, as he was always thinking about Chris.

Randy and Charlie were fantastic brothers as they continued their vigils at the side of Chris's bed. Jonathan Carpenter had bought them both laptop computers with Internet connections so they could keep up with their own studies while they were in California.

It was a great day in the hospital and across the CSU campus when Chris's mind made contact with Randy. Chris was feeling pain throughout his entire body and asked Charlie for strength and to have more calcium added to his IV's.

Poppa Mike had remained at the hospital the entire time that Chris was in danger, and he cried tears of joy when he heard that Chris had feeling throughout his body. It was fantastic news that Chris could feel more than the pain in his head. Dr. Patterson was amazed that Chris's skull fractures were healing on their own, as he had expected to perform surgery to put plates in Chris's head. The entire hospital staff was thrilled with the improvement in Chris's condition, as they had all feared that he would die of his injuries.

Chris's broken bones had been splinted during his treatment by the paramedics, and air casts had been applied at the hospital. Bone specialists had been consulted, and they wanted to take extensive X-rays and then put the bones back in place before applying traditional casts.

It was almost a week after the tragic attack when Chris regained consciousness. Randy flew out of the room and looked to see if Saul or Mike were in the waiting room. He was happy to see both of them as he screamed that Chris was awake!

Mike was now fitted with casts that allowed him to walk with crutches, and Saul helped him into Chris's room with Jennifer and Carol Carpenter following closely behind.

"Mike," Chris struggled to say. "Mike," he repeated.

Mike was thrilled that his buddy was conscious and sobbed as he leaned over and kissed Chris on the cheek.

"I'm here, Chris!" Mike choked out. "I love you!"

"Kiss," Chris said.

Mike gave Chris another kiss and wanted to hug him, but didn't know where he could hug Chris without causing pain.

"I'm sorry," Chris said.

"Oh Chris, I'm the one who's sorry!" Mike sobbed. "I love you and want you to get well so we can be together!"

"Where's B?" Chris asked.

"I'm here, son!" Saul said as he leaned over and kissed his son. "You keep fighting to get well for all of us!"

"I can't see," Chris admitted.

Dr. Patterson had rushed to the ICU after hearing that CJ Hammer had regained consciousness. "Your brain was severely bruised," he said. "Just relax and your sight might return. It's very common for brain injuries to result in temporary paralysis or blindness. You've already survived serious injuries that would have killed any normal person. I'm confident that you're gonna continue to get better."

Chris was in pain, but wanted to see Saul, Mike and his twin brothers. All he could see was dark objects as the people moved around in his room.

"B, get me out of this place!" Chris begged.

Saul had tears of joy running down his face as he kissed his son again and promised to get him out of the hospital as soon as possible.

"You're not ready to leave here yet," Saul choked out. "I was afraid that I'd never talk to you again, and I'm very emotional right now! You've been through hell, and we want you to know that we love you! The doctors want to run some tests on you now, but we'll be waiting here to talk to you again real soon!"

Chris was fighting the pain in his body and wanted Saul and Mike to stay with him. He felt Charlie hold his hand and sighed as he felt strength flowing into his body. He felt guilty for needing Charlie's strength, but listened as Randy connected to him and tried to calm him down. He listened to Randy and thanked him for being such a great brother to him, and asked Randy to thank Charlie for him.

"He's really weak and tired," Randy said as he saw Chris fall asleep. "Charlie gave him a big shot of strength, and Chris wanted me to thank him for it. I think we need to let him rest now."

"We want to take Chris for X-rays right now," Poppa Mike said. "I'm so happy right now that I want to scream, as I never expected him to regain consciousness so soon! We've witnessed another Cherokee miracle!"

Chris's progress was dramatic, as the bone specialists were amazed that his multiple fractures were healing quickly. The bones were back in the correct positions, and surgery wouldn't be necessary. Chris's condition was elevated to "guarded" but he was moved into a private room in the Critical Care Unit where he could have continued care and fewer restrictions on his visitors.

The CSU campus celebrated the news that Chris had regained consciousness and had been moved out of the ICU. The Tri-Delt house went wild when they heard that Chris asked Mike to get his pledge pin back and put it on his hospital gown. Sanity was being restored after the brutality that had marred the image of the CSU Falcon campus, and the rift between the pledges and members of the Delta Delta Delta Fraternity was being repaired.

Chris's condition continued to improve and his eyesight returned to normal. It was a fantastic day when Mike came into Chris's room and heard Chris greet him.

"Get over here and give me a kiss, Big Brother!" Chris commanded. "You look like shit! Did you lose your razor?"

"Oh, Chris!" Mike exclaimed as he realized that Chris's eyesight had returned. "I've prayed that you'd get better and start teasing me again!"

"Can you imagine the MSB I've got right now?" Chris teased. "Call the nurse to pull the catheter out of me so you can take care of Little Chris for me!"

Mike cried tears of joy at hearing Chris talk like before. He wanted to get in the hospital bed with his lover and make love with him, but knew that Chris was still in pain from his injuries. It was fantastic to hear Chris teasing him again, as it was a sign that his buddy was improving drastically.

"I think they'd throw me out of Med School if I took advantage of a patient," Mike teased. "I finally get smaller casts on my body so I can lift my legs to take a fuck, and you go and get busted up so you can't perform! I'm so horny that I'm ready to hit the expressway and visit a Rest Area glory hole!"

"You've always been a slut!" Chris teased. "Just give me one of your fantastic kisses, and I'll try to control Little Chris from filling that urine bag with something besides my pee!"

"God, I love you!" Mike said. "I'm so happy right now that I wanna scream!"

"I love you too and I want my pledge pin back," Chris admitted to Mike. "I want my pledge buddies and me to be ready for Help Week. I heard that Taran got his interviews signed, and Isaac said my buds wouldn't wear their pledge pins until you give me mine back. Do you have it with you?"

"I've been carrying it with me for two weeks," Mike admitted. "I was hoping that you'd accept it back and be my Little Brother again."

"I've never wanted anyone else as my Big Brother but you," Chris admitted. "I hate hospitals, and as soon as I get out of here, I'm gonna find a way to stick Little Chris in your mouth or ass! My little buddy is mad at me for not getting him off in a long time!"

"You're gonna have to be nice to me or learn how to jack off with your right hand!" Mike teased. "The guys have finished the work on the house to make it barrier free, and now it's my turn to take care of you! We moved your lard ass bed into one of the four man rooms, and I'll be there with you. Help Week will start when you're ready. The members wanted to cancel it and just initiate you and your pledge buddies, but the pledges wouldn't agree to that until your mobile again."

"I still want to pimp some of the members," Chris admitted. "It's fun being a pledge and harassing the members, including you! Put my pledge pin on me and give me a nice French kiss!"

Mike put the pledge pin on Chris's hospital pajamas, and gave him the requested kiss. It was a wonderful time for the two lovers, as they had accepted the difficult times that they had been through and were now connected again.

The CSU Falcons had a Bye Week, but the football team celebrated the news that Chris was recovering from his injuries. They all knew that he wouldn't return to the football team, but practiced with increased intensity after seeing him and hearing him tease them.

Things were back to normal on the CSU campus!!!!!!!!!!!!

To be continued...

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