Life After College

I appreciate the people who have reviewed. It’s okay to see that people are reading your story, but it helps a lot when you get feedback on how good/bad you did.

On with the next chapter!

P.S.
This chapter is a bit longer than the others.

–Scribbles05


Chapter 29

2 years later....

Time sure does fly. I’m now starting to feel my age growing on me. I know I’m only approaching 40 to you older crowds but it sucks all the same. I’m ‘over the hill’, Vivian teases me by saying whenever we visit her in North Carolina.

Sofia has just finished her first semester as a senior this year. She wanted to spend that studying abroad. She stayed in Paris to learn more about her major; fashion design. Really, you shouldn’t be surprised. Sofia also has gotten herself a boyfriend, Raymond Hemingway. Originally from Canada, she met him in France, studying computer communications. I liked Raymond; brown eyes, tan skin, short brown hair, beautiful smile, and a very fit body. He may have been in football or something before. I thought he was really sweet. It took Dicky a while to warm up to the boy. Though she’s graduated now, she’s still his little girl in his eyes.

Speaking of boyfriends, Damon banked one for himself. The boy’s name is Clint Banks and he was from Wisconsin. They met one day while we were at the beach relaxing. While Dicky and I were stretching out on the towel, Damon made a dive while trying to hit the volleyball Sofia hit over the net rather poorly. He fell into the sand rather hard, but not enough to alarm the current lifeguard on duty. My husband and I sat and watched as the boy wearing the very short white with red stripe lifeguard trunks help Damon to stand. Conversation began, which later developed into a full relationship.

Clint is very sweet. I like this one. I don’t get bad vibes from him like I did every time I saw Angel. He’s been over a number of times for dinner, along with Raymond, and I believe I embarrass Damon a bit. I’ve developed this habit of calling him a ‘cutie-pie’ to his face. I mean, he IS. Tall, lean, muscular body, olive skin, long brown shoulder length hair, and a hint of dark facial hair on his face. Wow. If I was eighteen again.....

Someone please tell me how in the world a dog could live this long? If they could, I had no idea. Yes, Benji is STILL here. Not moving as much as he used to and he’s stopped barking all together, but he’s here. And he still sleeps in Damon’s room, though a lot more lately.

Since the incident at school with Angel, Damon has made REAL friends. Most of them are girls, but he has a few guy friends. They all knew what happened to him was wrong and deem it stupid to hate him because he’s gay. Even his soccer team has no problem with it. I’m shocked to be honest. During middle school and high school, I was scared to death of coming out. I guess people are more tolerant towards it now. I know people weren’t crazy about it back then.

It was Saturday morning and Dicky and I decided to sleep in. Our simple playing around under the sheets, turned into lovemaking. We’re not as daring and experimenting as we once were years ago, but the love, the passion, and the romance is still there, so I’m not complaining. Dicky sucked on my neck while making strong, forceful thrusts. During my orgasmic pants, I whispered his name in his ear, then softly caressed his sides and back. I could feel his body react with slight shivers. When Dicky was satisfied with the love bruise he left on my neck, he groaned and started to move faster. I tightened my legs around his waist and held him by the neck, wanting to be as close to him as I could. I know over our seventeen years of being together, Dicky has told me he loved me over a million times. But when he whispered it to me then, I actually started to cry. I’ve never cried during sex. Ever. “Are you okay?” Dicky asked, still moving deep within me.

“Yes.” I whispered back as the silent tears rolled down my face. “I love you too.” I pulled him down and kissed him, then he started to kiss my tears away.

What was the most glorious and phenomenal experience I’ve ever had, finally came to an end. We came together in a shuddering climax. We laid together for a few minutes kissing and cuddling like lovesick teenagers; or like Sofia and Raymond–whichever you prefer- before we got up and took a shower together in our adjacent bathroom. “I just thought about something.” Dicky said while he soaped up my hair.

I held my hands on his hips. “What?”

“Do you wonder how it’s gonna be here when the kids are gone?”

“Quiet, that’s for sure. No more bickering about who ate the last slice of pizza, who lost the remote to the tv in the den, who broke this, who bought that, blah, blah, blah....”

He rinsed my hair. “Oh, don’t act like you won’t miss it.”

“I will. I’ll miss it a lot. It’ll be hard to adjust to living by ourselves again. Fifteen years, we’ve been raising children. Now, they’re on their way to fending for themselves.” I lathered up my hands and started soaping his hair.

“I wish it didn’t have to end.”

I smiled. “What are you saying? You want more kids?”

His eyes got big as lemons. “No! Absolutely not. I just wish it didn’t have to end.”

“Well, don’t fret. When we’re old and gray, they’ll have kids of their own and we’ll spoil them. That will be the best thing about being a grandparent. You can spoil them rotten, and at the end of the day, they get to go home. Out of our hair, so we can spend our retirement days traveling the country. Or even the world if we wanted to.”

He kissed me. “Sounds nice.”

I smiled. “Doesn’t it?” I rinsed his hair. “Say, Damon and Sofia more than likely aren’t up yet. You wanna go downstairs and have a little private breakfast?”

“You mean a full breakfast?”

“As full a breakfast as the refrigerator provides.” I kissed him.

“Okay.”

************

After a relaxing morning with the man I love, he got a call that afternoon from work. So, of course, that meant he had to leave. Dressed in his SWAT uniform, I hugged him at the door and kissed him goodbye. “I love you. Be careful.”

He smiled. “Always.”

************

I was in the kitchen washing the dishes from this morning, while Sofia helped me dry and put them back in the cabinets. Damon was sitting at the island filling out college applications; on occasion, he’d ask about certain questions he didn’t know about. “I hate these type questions.” He huffed.

“What type questions?” I asked.

“Why do you want to attend this college? Please be specific.”

“That’s easy.” Sofia said. “Just say, because I’m a dork and they won’t let me in anywhere else.” She chuckled.

“Shut up.”

“Knock it off.” I said, rolling my eyes.

Just then, we heard barking coming from upstairs. I mentioned before that Benji doesn’t do much of anything now, so it surprised us when we heard it. “What’s wrong with Benji?” Sofia asked, puzzled. The barking changed into a loud whine like he was in agony.

I shut the water off and dried my hands. “Damon go check on the dog and see what’s wrong with him.” Then door rang and I walked down the hall to answer it.

************

Dicky’s POV.....

I met up with my team and we drove in a black GMC to the scene. We were at a house in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. When we got there, officers, detectives, and the captain were there. I saw Dalton Jones first and talked to him. “What’s going on?”

“There’s a guy in the house. Drug addict. He broke into the house a while ago and has taken the widow and her three small children hostage.”

“Has he got a gun?”

“A knife.”

“Demands?”

“I don’t know. The captain has gotten the number and has talked to the guy. He hasn’t said yet what the man wants.”

“Taylor!” I heard the captain yell from afar. I walked to where the forty-something man was standing near his black Lincoln (company car).

“Sir.”

“Looks like this guy wants a showdown.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you remember Benny Yates?”

I looked confused. “Who?”

“Think back. Try fifteen years ago. Back when your kid was kidnaped.”

“Shit. Camile’s boyfriend? I thought he died years ago.”

“Apparently not. I’ve talked to him. His only demands are you, Taylor. He only wants you.” The captain’s cell phone rang. He spoke a few words then looked at me. “It’s Benny. He wants to speak to you.”

I took the phone. “Taylor.”

“Well hello, Richard. Long time no see, huh?”

“What do you want, Benny?”

“I’m sure your captain has filled you in by now on what I want. We’re way past due for a confrontation. It’s time I pay you back for all the hell you’d put my Camile through.”

“‘Your Camile’ is an addict. Just like you. Whatever came of her was her own doing.”

“She was getting better! All she wanted was her son back. Sammy deserved a better life.”

“Damon is fine right where he is. It’s not our fault she couldn’t hack the real world.”

“Couldn’t hack it?! Would you like for me to ‘hack’ this woman in here, Richard? Or maybe one of these kids?” I heard the woman in the background pleading with Benny.

“Benny, this is stupid. Let those people go. Give up and we’ll be lenient with you.”

“Fuck that! I want YOU!” He yelled. “You can have these bratty kids. But the woman stays. Just some insurance that only you will be coming in here.”

“Fine. I’m on my way.” We hung up. I looked at the captain. “I’m going in alone. He’s sending out the kids in exchange for me, but is holding the woman for insurance.” I took off my black helmet and set it on the car hood.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Do you deny a man who has the lives of four people in his hands?” I didn’t wait for an answer. I slowly walked across the front yard and towards the door of the house. The front door was open, except for the glass screen door, so I knocked. A little girl around six answered the door with a sad look on her face and tears in her eyes. I looked in and the other two younger children were crying.

“Get the fuck outta here, you pests!” Benny yelled to them. They ran past me and I looked at Benny; holding the woman from behind, a hunter’s knife pressed to her throat. “I gotta job for you to do, sexy.” He said softly to the frightened woman. “Go over there and pat him down. He has any guns, you toss them out the front door. And don’t try to trick me and leave a gun in there, because I’m watching you. Got me?” With a shove, he followed behind the woman as she came to me. I opened my arms and watched her pat me down; getting rid of all my guns. I was completely unarmed. But he wasn’t. If I could somehow get that knife away from him, I could beat the shit out of him. “Good. Now go and put those handcuffs back on and sit down.” The woman walked to the far corner of the large living room and cuffed herself, then she sat in the corner.

I sized him up when I looked back at Benny. He had gained a good amount of muscle weight over the years. Almost my size. He could still possibly give me a run for my money though. “Camile’s dead, you know.” He said pacing slowly around the room. “Died of an overdose, is what the doctors say.” He stopped by a chair and picked up a large piece of rope.

“And what do YOU think?” I asked trying to spare time and think of a plan.

“I think she died of a broken heart. That boy meant everything to her.” He playfully wrapped the rope around his knife. “She really WAS getting better. She only used twice a day.”

“Getting off drugs is a long, hard process. She wouldn’t have wanted to deal with raising a kid while trying to get drug free. That would’ve been too much pressure.”

“What was too much pressure was knowing that her son was being raised by queers.” He unwrapped the rope from the knife and started to walk towards me with both items. “I bet he’s gay too, huh?”

“Yep. Couldn’t be more proud of him.” Benny chuckled as he dropped the knife down on a couch next to us and was about to tie up my wrists. That’s when I took my opportunity. I dodged his hands and punched him in the nose. I noticed him stagger back a few steps, but didn’t notice he never fell. I was too busy trying to get to the knife. Before I could get my hands on it, he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me in a death grip.

I gritted my teeth, trying to get a away from him, but he slung me over the back of the couch and I fell to the floor. I heard quick steps and I hurried to get back on my feet. I was just getting up and made a quick backstep, but he sliced my calf with the knife before I could move fast enough. I grabbed my leg in pain but I couldn’t stop moving. “You’re fucking dead, Richard!” He leaped over the couch to stab me, but I grabbed his arm with the knife and flung him over my shoulder. Somehow the knife slipped out his hands and landed way out the way.

Benny fell with a thud to his back and hissed at the pain. Angry, I gripped his shirt and punched him repeatedly in the face. The fight had begun. He caught my fist mid-punch and connected with my jaw with his other fist. The fight lasted for a while, before Benny bashed his head against the brick of the fireplace. I cuffed him and sat back for minute; catching my breath and holding my cut leg.
I helped the woman up and told her to leave and that someone would get the handcuffs off her. I tossed the passed out Benny over my shoulder and carried him outside. When I looked around, I saw that the media had came as well as paramedics. I declined any interviews, blaming it on my wounded leg, and I took a ride in the ambulance to the hospital.

My leg was paining me a lot and my breathing hadn’t slowed yet, but I tried to block it out; thinking about getting home to see Drew.

************

“How ya doin young buck?” Dalton asked me. Yeah. He’s still a cop, though reduced to citing parking tickets and minute things like that. I was sitting on a hospital bed, with my uniform still on -minus the bulletproof vest and gun straps- but my pant leg was ripped open so the doctors could treat and wrap my thigh.

I smiled at Dalton. “I’m good, thanks. My breathing hasn’t calmed down yet though. I think I’m getting old.”

He laughed. “I remember those stages. First your air goes, then your body goes, then the hair.” He rubbed his balding head. “THEN comes the test from your wedding vows. You know, love, honor, cherish, through the good, the bad..... the ugly.”

I laughed. “I think me and Drew’s love for each other is strong enough to live through that.” I sat up and started to swing my legs over the edge of the bed.

“Hey. You think you should be moving around like that? On that leg?”

“Oh I’m fine.” I got up and walked past him to the door. “I just need to walk around a bit.”

“Richard? Richard!” I heard Dalton yell.

“What?” I turned around and I froze. Tell me, why am I staring at myself? Why do I see myself still sitting on the edge of the bed with my head down? I watch as Dalton puts his arms around me and see myself fall limp into his embrace. He’s crying now and I don’t understand why. I see a flash of bright light coming from behind me and turn around.

A large man with tanned skin, short dark hair, and a gray specked goatee smiled at me. “Hello son.”

“Dad?”I whispered. He grabbed me by the back of my neck with one large hand and pulled me into an embrace.

“I’ve come to take you with me, Richard.”

I jumped back. “What? I’m......I’m.......” I looked down at myself and I was transparent. I could see myself but yet at the same time, I couldn’t. My pant leg was still ripped open, but my leg was completely scarless. “....dead?” My father smiled and nodded.

“Oh God.” Just then, Dalton laid my limp body back on the bed and raced out the room.

“Nurse! Nurse! I need a doctor, PLEASE!”

“I don’t understand. How did this happen? What about my family?” I ran my hand through my short hair. “Drew.....”

*************

Andrew’s POV......

Damon ran up the steps two at a time and tried to see what was wrong with Benji and calm him down. I answered the door and smiled at Dalton. His head was down but I thought nothing of it. “Hey Dalton. What’s up?” My smile went away when I saw his face. His eyes were red and his cheeks were covered in tears. The poor thing was shaking terribly and I couldn’t figure out why. “Dalton, what is it? Whats.......the.......” It suddenly hit me. Something’s wrong with Dicky and judging by the look on this man’s face, it can’t be good. My eyes started to tear up. “No.” I whispered shakily.

“I’m sorry, Andrew.”

I shook my head in denial. “No.....no.....no......NO!” I dropped to the floor; the feeling in my legs were gone. \"Oh God, please no!\"

Damon and Sofia ran into the foyer and saw me on the floor. “Dad, dad what is it?” Damon said wrapping his arms around me. I bent over, covered my face with my hands, and cried and cried and cried.

************

The three of us raced down the hall of the hospital. When Dalton told me Dicky was dead, I was only dressed in red flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt. I didn’t bother changing; only a pair of tennis shoes.

I found over two dozen police officers standing outside a room and I knew that was where my husband was. When they saw us, first the captain, then the rest of them removed their hats. I started to shake and I felt Sofia grab my hand and squeeze it gently. We walked inside and I began to pant. I couldn’t breathe. My eyes were watering so bad, I couldn’t see. My heart sank when I saw the love of my life stretched out flat on the bed. His strong face looked soft and gentle. Like he did so many times before after we’d make love.

Damon and Sofia hugged each other and cried. I sat on the edge of the bed and held his hand to my cheek. I didn’t feel the same warm loving response I normally would. It was cold, limp,..........dead. I leaned my forehead against his and broke down. “Dicky, don\'t leave me. Don’t leave me! I need you!” I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried on his shoulder. “Don’t go......Don’t go.....” I kept saying into his ear.

A male doctor came in a few minutes later and spoke to us. He might’ve said his name. I don’t know. I wasn’t paying attention. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“What happened?” Sofia asked. I didn’t have the energy to talk to anyone.

“Organ failure. Mr. Taylor’s heart stopped. The knife that cut his leg was covered in ricin.”

“And what is that?”

“Ricin is a chemical derived from castor beans. When pressed, the beans secrete what we know as castor oil. In their natural state, however, the seeds, along with all other parts of the plant, are highly poisonous. Someone processed these beans, smeared it all over the knife and used it to kill him. Ricin is highly potent. More potent than cobra venom. A speck of it the size of a pinhead can be fatal if injected into the bloodstream, which is what happened here.”

“How is it no one saw this coming?” She asked.

“Ricin is water soluble and odorless. Victims may be unaware of exposure until hours afterward when the poison begins to attack living cells. That leads to respiratory distress, internal bleeding, and organ failure.”

Damon looked up from where he stood next to Dicky. “You couldn’t have saved him?”

“I’m sorry. There is no cure or antidote for victims of ricin exposure.”

************
Raymond and Clint came to support Sofia and Damon a while later. Bernie and Francis came too, but I declined the offered company. Instead, I sat in the room alone with my husband. I kept kissing his forehead, cheeks, and lips, not knowing what to say. Finally, I laid on the bed next to him, wrapped his arms around me, held him around his waist tightly, and cried. My world, as I knew it, came to an end.

I closed my eyes and I saw various images of Dicky’s face. Him smiling, laughing, confused, angry, embarrassed. All those different expressions that I will never see again.

There was a knock at the door, then the sound of someone coming in. “Drew?” It was Francis.

“What?” I said dryly.

“The nurses have to come in and get the bod....Richard ready to be taken to the funeral home. And you’ve got to get started on the funeral arrangements.” I hated having to hear this. I didn’t want to associate the word ‘funeral’ with my lover. Not this soon. I’m not ready. I’m not ready to live on my own.

“Give me a second, okay?”

“Sure.” Francis left and I was alone again. I finally detached myself from Dicky and looked down at him. *sigh* I didn’t want to leave him. With a caress to his cheek and a kiss to his still lips, I walked out the room in a daze.


TBC.......

I’m sorry guys. Don’t hate me too bad. It had to be done though. Did I shock you? Did you like the way I had Dicky pass on and he not even know it? Did you like anything? Tell me what you think. R&R.

Ricin is actually a poison and it can kill you just like the doctor mentioned in the story. If a child were to eat a ricin bean, it would kill them. Death by ricin DOES take a bit longer than what I gave in this chapter. It usually takes around 36 hours and I have no idea how a person exactly dies from it (full detail), so I just made it seem like the poison made Dicky ‘slip away’ and he never knew what hit him.

6/8/05
THIS IS NOT THE END. I just got a review from someone who thought this chapter was my last chapter. Couldn\'t be further from the truth. (hence the letters \"TBC\") I said in chapter 28 that I was reaching the final stretch of this story. Meaning, I have a couple more chapters to go before I end this. I\'ve read enough stories to know that ending one this way is not a good way to leave people. I\'d NEVER do that to you all.