Transitions Parts IV-VI
 
 
 
Author:  S. Hughes
 
 
 
Email:  Shughes002@yahoo.com 
 
 
 
Rating:  PG
 
 
 
Summary:  A look at another episode in the life of young Nicholas Fallin.
 
 
 
Author's Note: Proofreading and some plot points are by Erica.
 
 
 
Author’s Disclaimer:  This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance of a
character in this story to any person living or dead is purely
coincidental. Likewise, any resemblance between an organization depicted
in this story and any such actual organization is purely coincidental.
 
 
 
--+--
 
 
 
 
 
Nicholas was sitting in his room at Wellington feverishly studying for
his final exams.  Winter break was starting in exactly one week and he
was dying to get away from the terribly strict and rigorous academic
environment that Wellington embodied.   In the three years that Nicholas
had attended Wellington, he learned how to survive, follow the rules,
and stay on relatively good terms with the authority figures.  A few
days ago, however, he lost track of time while studying in his room and
he was 20 minutes late for dinner.  Since this was his second offense,
Nicholas was given 2 demerits, which meant he was grounded and had to
stay in his room when he wasn’t attending class or meals.  Based on past
experience, Nicholas knew that it was school policy to send a formal
letter home to the parents whenever disciplinary action was taken. 
Consequently, Nicholas figured it was only a matter of time before his
father would be calling to scold him about the recent act of
disobedience.  Nicholas rarely heard from his father unless it was to
administer a lengthy lecture about the need to follow the school rules.
 
 
 
Nicholas sat at his desk with his tie loosened but the rest of his
school uniform in tact.  He was desperately trying to take advantage of
the few minutes of peace and quiet he had while his roommate was gone. 
His roommate, Jason, was most likely hanging out in the recreational
room at the end of the hall, engaged in an illegal game of cards.  It
was a rare occasion to be free of the radio blaring and loud chatter. 
Jason, like Nicholas and the majority of the other boys attending
Wellington, came from a highly affluent and influential family.  He and
Nicholas had become fast friends since they both started attending
Wellington at the young age of 12.  Although Jason did not take his
studies as seriously as Nicholas, they managed to room together for 3
years without major issues.  Nonetheless, Nicholas cherished the silence
and he actually didn’t mind being grounded, since it left him with no
option but to sit there and diligently study.
 
 
 
“Hey, Fallin!”  Jason said as he cracked the dorm room door open and
peeked his head in.  “Mr. Walters said your Dad was on the phone.”
 
 
 
“Great.”  Nicholas said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes and let out
a big sigh.  “Did he sound angry?”  Nicholas asked apprehensively with
his voice cracking.
 
 
 
“I don’t know, man.  I didn’t take the call.  Mr. Walters saw me walking
down the corridor and he asked me to get you.  That’s all I know.  Why? 
Do you think your Dad got the letter?”  Jason said with a sympathetic
look on his face.
 
 
 
“Yeah.  Probably.”  Nicholas said as he stood up from his chair and
straightened his tie.
 
 
 
Nicholas slowly walked down the corridor to this little room on the
right before the stairwell.  This room was known as the corridor office
and it was the only location where students were allowed to retrieve and
make phone calls.  Mr. Walter’s, the corridor supervisor and one of the
school’s dreaded math teachers, had his room right next to this office. 
He kept a watchful eye on all the boys in the corridor and made a
particular point to monitor all conversations on the phone.
 
 
 
Nicholas cleared his throat as he turned to enter the room.  Mr. Walters
was standing there holding the phone with his right hand against his
chest. 
 
 
 
“Hi, Mr. Walters.  Umm, Jason told me that I have a phone call?” 
Nicholas said with his eyes lowered.
 
 
 
“Yes.  It’s your father.  Here you go,” Mr. Walters said as he handed
the phone to Nicholas.  “Try to keep it short, okay?  Dinner is in 14
minutes and God knows you need to be on time,” Mr. Walters said with a
stern look.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir,” Nicholas said meekly.
 
 
 
Nicholas took the phone from Mr. Walters and sat down in the hard,
uncomfortable chair near the phone stand.  “Hello?”  Nicholas said
feeling rather nervous.
 
 
 
“Nicholas.  It’s Dad.  How are you doing?”
 
 
 
“I’m fine, thanks.  And you?”  Nicholas said while feeling tightness in
his chest.
 
 
 
“Good.  Are you anxious to come home for winter break?”
 
 
 
“Yeah, I guess.  I’m pretty worried about final exams so I haven’t given
it much thought yet,” Nicholas said feeling baffled that his father
hadn’t started to scold him about the demerits.  Normally his father
would have jumped right into that topic.
 
 
 
“Do you feel prepared?  Which exams do you have first?”  Burton asked
curiously.
 
 
 
“I have advanced trigonometry and chemistry on Monday, English
literature and Latin on Tuesday, world history on Wednesday, and
philosophy on Thursday.  I feel okay about my Monday exams, but I have a
lot of work to do to prepare for the others.” 
 
 
 
“Well, I am sure you will do fine.  You have consistently earned
straight A’s and I know you will manage.  I do, however, have some
exciting news that I thought you might like to hear.”  Burton said with
a quiet chuckle and a hint of enthusiasm in his voice.
 
 
 
“What?”  Nicholas asked curiously.
 
 
 
“I know how much you like to ski and I figured that since I wasn’t
around much when you were home for Thanksgiving break that we could take
a five-day ski trip to Seven Springs.”  Burton said with excitement. 
“What do you think?  Are you interested?”
 
 
 
“Yeah!  That’s great!  Will it be just be the two of us on the trip?” 
Nicholas asked feeling certain there was going to be a catch.
 
 
 
“Yes, of course, son!”  Burton said feeling shocked that his son would
ask such a strange question.
 
 
 
“Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to go!  You and I haven’t gone skiing together
in ages.  I can’t even remember the last time that I even put a pair of
skis on!”  Nicholas stated with enthusiasm.
 
 
 
“I know.  It has been far too long.”  Burton said with a regretful
tone.  “But, I am a firm believer that it’s better late than never!  I
have already made arrangements to visit the local ski shop when you
arrive here next Friday to purchase new equipment.  If I recall
correctly, your flight arrives at 1:10 pm and that will give us plenty
of time to find a nice set of skis for you.”
 
 
 
“Thanks, Dad.  I can’t wait!  Now I have something to look forward to
after taking these awful exams.”   Nicholas said with a smile on his
face.  Just then, Mr. Walter’s entered the room pointing to his watch,
signaling to Nicholas that it was time to get off the phone.
 
 
 
“Well, I should probably get going; it is almost time for dinner.” 
Nicholas said as he nodded to Mr. Walters to confirm that he understood.
 
 
 
“Yeah, speaking of which,” Burton said with his stern parental voice
emerging, “you need to get yourself to scheduled meals on time young
man.  I got the letter and, trust me, I was not amused.”
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said in a submissive manner.  “It won’t happen again.”
 
 
 
“Good.”  Burton said with a decisive tone.  “Well, give me a call if
there is anything you need from me, okay?”
 
 
 
"Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said grinning from ear to ear.  His father had
never taken five days off from work nor suggested that the two of them
take a vacation together.  Best of all, his father barely made an issue
of the recent discipline problem at Wellington. 
 
 
 
“Okay then, I will see you soon.  Bye, son.”  Burton said.
 
 
 
“Bye, Dad.  Thanks for planning the trip.  I am really excited about
it.”  Nicholas said as he hung up the phone.
 
 
 
……………………
 
 
 
“Hey, Nicholas!  Over here!”  Burton shouted as he waved above the crowd
of holiday travelers.
 
 
 
Nicholas had just gotten off the plane and the airport was incredibly
busy.  He heard Burton’s voice before he even caught a glimpse of him. 
He looked in the direction of his father’s booming voice and sure
enough, there he was, dressed in his usual business attire.
 
 
 
“Hi, Dad!”  Nicholas yelled back as he grabbed his carry-on and moved
through the thick crowd.
 
 
 
“Hi, son! How was your trip?”  Burton said as he pulled his son close to
him, wrapping his arm around Nicholas’s shoulders and giving a tight
squeeze. 
 
 
 
“Good.  Crowded, but good.”  Nicholas said with a smile.
 
 
 
“Let’s go and get your luggage so we can get out of this chaos.”  Burton
said as he picked up Nicholas’s carry on and directed his son towards
the escalator leading to the luggage carousels.
 
 
 
“How did your exams go?  Did you maintain your 4.0 GPA or do you think
the exams destroyed it.”  Burton said with a wink, knowing full well
that Nicholas accepted nothing short of perfection and would not allow
for such a tragic event to occur.  Since attending boarding school,
Nicholas had become very intense about his academic goals and he was
known for developing ulcers as a result of this self-induced stress.
 
 
 
“I think I did fine.  I was a little worried about my world history exam
since my teacher is notorious for making impossible test questions. 
But, it wasn’t too bad.” Nicholas said while shrugging his shoulders. 
 
 
 
“Good.  I’m glad to hear that.  Now let’s talk about this hair of
yours!”  Burton said chuckling as he ruffled Nicholas’s hair with his
big, strong hand.  “Doesn’t your school have rules about keeping your
hair short and neat?  God knows they have rules about every other aspect
of one’s attire!”  Burton said shaking his head while recalling the
twenty-page manual he had received on appropriate school and weekend
attire, complete with lists of consequences for failure to comply. 
 
 
 
“Dad, everyone is wearing their hair long now. As a matter of fact, I
think I have the shortest haircut of all the guys since you made me cut
it when I was home for Thanksgiving break.” Nicholas said with a whining
tone. 
 
 
 
“And, you are going to get it cut again!”  Burton said with a
no-nonsense tone. 
 
 
 
Nicholas just looked down and decided that he had better not argue. 
Burton never was fond of Nicholas’s hair when it looked disheveled and
unfortunately, that was the current style for teenage boys.
 
 
 
The awkward conversation was interrupted once Nicholas’s bags finally
circled around the carousel and were quickly grabbed by Burton. 
“Okay!”  Burton chimed, “What do you say we get out here?” 
 
 
 
Nicholas nodded in agreement.  As they were leaving the airport,
Nicholas spotted a very attractive girl, about his age, standing in line
waiting to check-in luggage.  Nicholas glanced over at her and smiled
awkwardly.  He couldn’t help but stare at her breasts that were
accentuated by her tightly fit sweater. She returned the smile and made
direct eye contact with him.  Nicholas quickly looked away and blushed a
beet red. He felt so stupid standing there with his school uniform,
being towed behind his father.  He wished he had had time to change
clothes at school before leaving for the airport earlier that morning. 
He thought for sure this adorable, blond-haired, blue-eyed, wonder would
think he was a dork. Just before Burton called out to Nicholas to “come
along”, it appeared as if this girl was stepping out of the line to
approach him.  Nicholas quickly looked down and began to scurry to
catch-up with his father, leaving the beautiful girl behind. 
 
 
 
Having attended an all boys’ school since the age of nine, Nicholas felt
completely inadequate when it came to socializing with girls.  Most of
the boys at Wellington would frequently brag about their girlfriends
back home and Nicholas always felt compelled to listen to their stories,
in hopes of understanding what the whole dating thing was about. 
Nicholas was a strikingly handsome boy, but he felt terribly
unattractive.  Whenever one of the guys at school would say, “Hey,
Fallin!  That girl is checking you out!”  Nicholas would shrug and
sarcastically say, “Yeah, right.”  To top things off, Nicholas despised
the fact that he wasn’t as tall as the other boys.  He was always the
last one selected to play when informal basketball games were started on
the weekends at school.  Nicholas knew that his lack of popularity in
that arena was due to his small size. If it weren’t for the fact that
each year his father had to purchase an entirely new school uniform set,
he would have easily believed that he was the same height he was when he
was 12. 
 
 
 
Burton opened the trunk to his Cadillac and tossed in Nicholas’s luggage
in.  “Okay,” Burton declared, “We have exactly one hour to get you to
the ski store to buy some new equipment before I have to be back at the
office for an important meeting.  Deal?”  Burton said as he started the
engine.
 
 
 
“Sure.”  Nicholas said as he buckled his seat belt. 
 
 
 
“Once we are through at the store, I will drop you off at the house so
you can relax.  Mrs. Portis is home so at least you will have some
company.  I think she is making your favorite dinner tonight too.” 
Burton said with a smile.
 
 
 
Nicholas glanced over at his father, nodded and smiled.  Nicholas loved
Mrs. Portis, but he was extremely embarrassed that his father felt he
still needed a nanny when he was home.  She was an excellent cook, very
easy to talk to, and best of all, she never tattled on Nicholas.  If he
had to have a nanny, he was at least grateful it was Mrs. Portis.  Just
once, however, he was hoping that his father would let him stay home
alone during a school break.  Nicholas knew that his roommate, Jason,
always got to stay home without supervision during vacations.  Better
yet, Jason’s parents even trusted him to watch his 13 year-old brother
while they were both at work.  A twinge of jealousy overcame Nicholas as
he pondered this scenario.
 
 
 
The trip to the ski shop was quick and efficient.  Burton insisted that
they purchase the very best skis on the market after listening to the
sales agent inform them about the dangers of skiing with faulty or poor
equipment.  Nicholas was happily dazed over the wide array of skis,
poles, boots, pants, coat, gloves, and goggles.  The store had very
stylish colors of ski apparel to choose from and Burton let Nicholas
chose all his gear without saying a word.  There was never any mention
of price and Burton did not bat an eye as he paid the cashier at the
counter. 
 
 
 
Nicholas and Burton, along with the help of some store workers, managed
to get all the equipment out to the car in one trip.  As they were
pulling out of the parking lot, Burton looked at the clock and said,
“Hey, Nicholas.  Do you mind hanging out at the office for a bit while I
meet with a client?  It shouldn’t take long, but I don’t think I will
have time to run you home and make it to my meeting.  Are you okay with
that?”  Burton said trying to make it sound exciting.
 
 
 
“Sure.  That’s fine.”  Nicholas said, not really wanting to go.  He
hated having to sit outside of his father’s office since nothing ever
took “just a minute”.  A quick meeting to his father translates into a
2-hour ordeal.
 
 
 
As they entered the office, all of the staff and attorneys made a point
to say hi to Nicholas.  Nicholas was incredibly well liked around the
office and Nicholas often wondered if they were nice just because they
felt sorry for him.  After all, his mother was dead, his father was an
incredibly stern disciplinarian, and to top it off, he was shipped off
to boarding school.  Nicholas was pretty much living a teenager’s
nightmare and he felt the staff knew it too. 
 
 
 
“Nicholas, why don’t you have a seat here?"  Burton said as he pointed
to the chair Nicholas usually sat in outside of his father’s office.  “I
would tell you to start your homework, but ..” Burton started to
chuckle, “I guess for once you would be telling me the truth when you
said you don’t have any!  I suppose that’s the one nice thing about
final exams, you get a moment to breath afterwards, huh?”  Burton said
as he patted Nicholas’s shoulder.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said as he began to sit down. 
 
 
 
“I won’t be long, okay?  Hey, Sheila, are they already in the conference
room?”  Burton asked as he ran into his office to grab some papers off
his desk.
 
 
 
“Yes, Mr. Fallin.  They arrived just a few minutes ago.  I have already
provided them with some coffee and water.”  Sheila said with a smile. 
“Oh, Mr. Fallin.  You will need this too.”  Sheila said as she stood up
to hand a folder to Burton.  “The paperwork you requested is in there.”
 
 
 
“Great!  Thanks, Sheila.  Hey, keep Nicholas out of trouble for me, will
you?”  Burton said as he opened the doors to the conference room.
 
 
 
“Sure thing, Mr. Fallin.” Sheila said with a charming smile, knowing
full well that Nicholas was never a problem.
 
 
 
“So, Nicholas, how is school going?  It seems like it has been years
since I last saw you!”  Sheila said trying to entice the shy boy into
talking.
 
 
 
“It’s okay, I guess.”  Nicholas said while looking down at the floor.
 
 
 
“Are you meeting a lot of nice kids?”  Sheila asked with interest.
 
 
 
“Well, not really.  I know most of the boys there already and unless a
new student enrolls, there isn’t much excitement.”  Nicholas said while
actually making eye contact.
 
 
 
“So, what is boarding school like?  I only attended a public school
around here so, you are in a completely different academic world!” 
Sheila said as she leaned forward in her chair in an attempt to engage
Nicholas in a discussion.
 
 
 
“It’s very much like a prison.”  Nicholas said with a joking smile. 
“Everything is very structured.  You are in class all day and then you
are given one free hour to play rugby, tennis, lacrosse, or practice
with the rowing team.  After that you have to report back to your dorm
room for mandatory study time until dinner.  After dinner, you go back
to your room, study some more, and if your lucky, they let you hang-out
in the rec room for thirty minutes before you have to go to bed.  You
wake up and start the whole thing over again, trying not to accumulate
demerits in the process.  It’s great fun.  Really.”  Nicholas said with
sarcasm and a smirk on his face.
 
 
 
“It can’t really be that bad, is it?”  Sheila said with astonishment.
 
 
 
“Well, it does get better.  On the weekends they actually let you leave
the campus for a few hours if you have a school chaperone.”  Nicholas
said while he rolled his eyes.
 
 
 
“Great!”  Sheila said while trying to keep from laughing. 
 
 
 
Shelia couldn’t help but notice how adorable Nicholas looked. He had
matured tremendously and he looked as if he should be one of the
attorneys scurrying around the office, not a fifteen-year old adolescent
waiting for his father to finish a meeting.
 
 
 
While Sheila began to attend to the work at her desk, Nicholas picked up
a copy of the Law Review and began reading with great interest.  He was
actually enjoying the articles, when he saw the door to the conference
room open.  Burton held the door open while two gentlemen began to thank
and shake hands with his father.
 
 
 
“Burton, is this the son you have been telling us about?”  One of the
men asked as he approached Nicholas with his hand extended.
 
 
 
Nicholas immediately placed the journal down, buttoned his school
blazer, and stood up to receive the gentleman.
 
 
 
“Yes, Fred.  This is my son, Nicholas.  Nicholas, this is Mr. Blakely.”
 
 
 
Nicholas firmly shook Mr. Blakely’s hand and said, “It’s a pleasure to
meet you sir.” 
 
 
 
“The pleasure is mine.”  Mr. Blakely responded with an impressed look on
his face.  “He is a spitting image of you Burton.  I can tell you have
done an excellent job raising him.”  Mr. Blakely said with a definitive
nod towards Burton. 
 
 
 
“Your Dad tells me that you just got home from school.  How do you like
Wellington?  It’s a great school isn’t it?”  Mr. Blakely declared.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.  I like it quite well.”  Nicholas said as he glanced down at
the floor.
 
 
 
This comment caught Sheila’s attention, as she knew it not to be true. 
She quickly glanced at Nicholas, but it went unnoticed. 
 
 
 
“Well, I hope you and your Dad have a great skiing trip!  Don’t let you
father fall too many times!  We need him to close this deal in a week.” 
Mr. Blakely said with a wink.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said as he waited patiently for his father to
escort his clients down the hall and to the main door.  Nicholas knew
immediately that Mr. Blakely must be a very affluent and important
client, since he rarely saw his father walk clients out of the office.
 
 
 
Sheila decided not to confront Nicholas about his statement to Mr.
Blakely about liking boarding school.  Instead, she tried to appear busy
as Nicholas again took his seat outside his father’s office.
 
 
 
“Okay, that’s done.” Burton said with a look of satisfaction.  “Here are
the notes from the meeting, Sheila.  I’m going to grab my stuff and get
Nicholas home.  Our flight doesn’t leave until tomorrow afternoon so
feel free to call me if you have any problems.  I also left the number
of the ski lodge on my desk if you need to get a hold of me.”  Burton
said as he threw some papers into his briefcase and grabbed his coat.
 
 
 
“Everything will be fine, Mr. Fallin.  I won’t call unless it is
absolutely necessary.  I want you to have a relaxing trip.”  Sheila said
with a smile.
 
 
 
“Thanks, Sheila.”  Burton said as he motioned to Nicholas to get up and
follow him.
 
 
 
“Oh, Nicholas.”  Sheila said with a charming smile. “I love your hair. 
It’s very stylish.”
 
 
 
Nicholas lowered his head out of shyness and began to walk out behind
his father.  The comment caused Burton to whirl around and say, “Sheila,
don’t encourage him.  We are going right now to get it cut off.”  Burton
said with a sly smile.
 
 
 
Nicholas didn’t say a word since he knew that it was pointless.  He
hoped his hair would grow out fast.
 
 
 
…………….
 
 
 
The flight to Seven Springs had gone without a glitch and despite
blizzard-like conditions the driver from the airport had safely found
the ski resort.  Burton kept reassuring Nicholas that the snow would
only improve the slopes for skiing the next day. Nicholas wasn’t really
concerned and it became clear to him that his father was merely trying
to convince himself.
 
 
 
The resort was breathtakingly beautiful.  It had the perfect rustic,
cabin feel, with a touch of elegance.  While Burton was checking in at
the front desk, Nicholas couldn’t help but notice a bunch of kids
hanging out in the lobby by this gigantic fieldstone fireplace. 
Nicholas guessed they all had to be in college since they were all
sporting college sweatshirts and they looked much to mature to be in
high school.  They were all talking about their plans for the evening,
clearly trying to orchestrate several agendas.  Some wanted to go out
partying, while others wanted to venture out on the slopes.  Nicholas
was so absorbed and fascinated with the college students that he didn’t
even hear his father calling him.
 
 
 
“Nicholas.  Hey, Nicholas!”  Burton shouted.  “Our suite is ready so why
don’t you grab your stuff.”
 
 
 
“Sorry.”  Nicholas said realizing that his father had probably been
calling him for quite some time.
 
 
 
“You hungry?”  Burton asked as they were walking.
 
 
 
“Yeah, a little.”  Nicholas said in awe as he was taking in the sights.
 
 
 
“Why don’t we drop this stuff in the room and grab a bite to eat in the
restaurant right here in the lodge.  The receptionist said they have
excellent food.  Does that sound okay to you?”  Burton said hoping
Nicholas would agree.
 
 
 
“Sure.  That’s great.”  Nicholas said as his father opened the door to
their suite.  The room was phenomenal and it had the most amazing view
of the snow-covered hills.  The room had it’s own fireplace with every
amenity one could imagine.  The kitchen was fully equipped and the
massive leather couches encompassing the fireplace reminded Nicholas of
his father’s study at home. 
 
 
 
“This is so cool!”  Nicholas said as he threw down his stuff and began
to investigate.
 
 
 
“Yeah, it’s even nicer than I thought it was going to be.”  Burton said
with as much excitement as Nicholas.
 
 
 
The suite was so large that both the bedrooms had their own attached
bathroom.  Nicholas desperately wanted the room with the big television
in it and he quickly asked his father if he could sleep in there.
 
 
 
“Sure.”  Burton replied.  “Whichever room you want is fine with me.” 
 
 
 
“Why don’t you get cleaned up and let’s go to dinner, okay?”  Burton
said as he began to pour a glass of scotch from the locked liquor cabinet. 
 
 
 
As he was washing up in the bathroom, Nicholas couldn’t help but notice
his awful haircut.  Mrs. Portis kept commenting about how cute it looked
and his father made a point of saying, “Wow.  Much better, much
better.”  But, Nicholas hated it.  None of the other kids wore their
hair like this. Thankfully he would be wearing a hat for most of the trip.
 
 
 
“You ready?”  Burton asked as he placed his empty scotch glass on the
counter.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said as put on his penny loafers and straightened
his oxford Polo shirt.
 
 
 
“Good.”  Burton said as he put his arm around his son.  It felt so good
to be away from the office and he was elated that Nicholas was with
him.  Despite what Nicholas believed, Burton truly missed not having
Nicholas around.  Things were way too quiet in the house and it was
lonely at times. 
 
 
 
Burton kept his arm around Nicholas as the walked down the hall to the
main lobby.  The college kids were still there, talking louder than
ever.  Nicholas immediately tried to free himself from his father’s
grip, as he wanted desperately to fit in.  Burton didn’t notice the
change in position and kept walking.  
 
 
 
“Oh, Nicholas. Hold up a minute.  I’m going to make a quick call at the
front desk.  Why don’t you wait for me by the restaurant.”  Burton said
pointing to the restaurant sign that read, “The Black Diamond”.
 
 
 
“Okay.”  Nicholas said without a complaint.  Normally he would have been
annoyed at his father’s desire to incorporate business into their
vacation, but he actually welcomed the opportunity to continue to
observe the college crowd.
 
 
 
Nicholas leaned against the wall and couldn’t help but stare at the
upbeat crowd.  Two girls in the group caught a glimpse of Nicholas and
released a welcoming, cheery smile.  Nicholas quickly looked away and
began to fidget.  His curiosity caught the best of him and he felt
compelled to look over another time.  Just as he raised his head, the
two girls began walking towards him.  Nicholas could feel his face
getting flush.  He was for sure they were coming over to tell him to
stop staring.
 
 
 
“Hi!”  The two bubbly girls said in unison.  “I’m Kelly and this is
Alicia.”  One of the girls cheerfully stated.
 
 
 
Knowing that he should also introduce himself, Nicholas tried to find
his voice and he said, “Umm, umm.  Hi.  It’s nice to meet you.”
 
 
 
“So, what’s your name?”  Alicia asked teasingly.
 
 
 
“Umm.  Nicholas.” 
 
 
 
“Are you here with some friends on vacation?”  Kelly asked while
brushing her long, shiny brown hair from her face.
 
 
 
“Well, I’m here with my Dad.”  Nicholas said as he shoved his hands into
his pockets, feeling incredibly stupid for having told them the truth.
It would have sounded a lot better if he could have said that he was
there with friends.
 
 
 
“Oh.  That’s cool.  Are you a good skier?”  Alicia asked with a
flirtatious smile.
 
 
 
“I’m okay.”  Nicholas said while quickly glancing over to the front desk
to see if his father was still on the phone.
 
 
 
“So, do you want to join us?  We were talking about going to see a movie
at the theater down the road.  The lodge has a shuttle service and we
were all going to pile in the van and head out in a bit.”  Kelly asked
with a sincere look on her face.
 
 
 
“Thanks.  I’d really like to, but I need to check with my Dad.”  Right
after Nicholas said this he realized how immature the comment must have
sounded.  Who asks their parents permission to go see a movie?  He was
for sure these college kids would ditch him for now that he said that.
 
 
 
“Okay.  We can wait?”  Alicia said as she glanced over to Kelly looking
for affirmation.
 
 
 
“Sure! Where is your Dad?”  Kelly chimed in.
 
 
 
“Oh, he is on the phone at the front desk.”  Nicholas said pointing to
the receptionist station.
 
 
 
“Cool.  So, where do you go to school?”  Alicia asked?
 
 
 
“Wellington.”  Nicholas said feeling utterly embarrassed.
 
 
 
“I’ve heard of that school!  Is that the one in Connecticut?”  Kelly
asked feeling proud of herself that she knew of the place.
 
 
 
“Yeah. That’s the one.”  Nicholas said with a nervous smile.
 
 
 
“Well, I have never heard of that college.”  Alicia said feeling a bit
left out.
 
 
 
Nicholas was shocked that this girl thought he was old enough to be in
college.  For a brief second, he forgot about his short, unstylish
haircut and the fact that he was a tad short for his age, and relished
in the idea that he looked old and mature.
 
 
 
“It’s a boarding school for boys, Alicia.”  Kelly said with an annoyed
look.  “Don’t you remember?  I told you about how cool all those guys
are over there!”  Kelly said as she giggled and caressed the outside of
Nicholas’s arm.  “Guys look so hot in school uniforms!  Don’t you agree,
Alicia?”
 
 
 
“Yeah!”  Alicia said as both the girls looked at each other and giggled.
 
 
 
“So…where do you attend school?”  Nicholas asked, amazed that these two
beautiful women would think he was “hot”.
 
 
 
“We both go to Pitt.”  Kelly quickly responded with a curt glance over
to Alicia.
 
 
 
“Yeah…we both go to Pitt.”  Alicia said with a nervous smile.
 
 
 
“What a coincidence!  I am actually from Pittsburgh. Well…that’s where
my father lives.”  Nicholas said feeling a need to qualify his comment.
 
 
 
“So, are you going to go and ask your Dad or what?”  Kelly said pulling
on Nicholas’s sleeve.
 
 
 
Nicholas glanced over and saw that his father was still on the phone. 
He knew how much it angered his father when he would interrupt him.  The
last thing he needed was to get lectured in front of his two new
attractive friends.  “I’d better wait until he is off the phone.  Are
you leaving right now?”
 
 
 
“No.  The movie starts in 45 minutes. Were just hanging out and talking
until the van arrives. We can wait a bit.”  Alicia said fussing with her
hair.
 
 
 
Just then Nicholas saw his father walking towards him.  “You ready,
Nicholas?”  Burton said as he nodded to the two girls in acknowledgement
as he approached.
 
 
 
“Umm.  Dad.  I was wondering if I could go and watch a movie with
Alicia, Kelly and some of their friends?”  Nicholas said pointed to the
rest of the college crowd gathered around the lobby fireplace.
 
 
 
“Hi.  I’m Mr. Fallin, Nicholas’s father.”  Burton said as he extended
his arm to shake both of the girl’s hands.
 
 
 
“I’m sorry.”  Nicholas said with his head lowered, realizing that he
should have formally introduced everyone before asking for permission.
 
 
 
“Hi. I’m Kelly.” 
 
 
 
“And, I’m Alicia.”
 
 
 
“Nice to meet you girls.  Where are your from?  Are you here with your
parents?”  Burton said oblivious of their college status.
 
 
 
“We’re here with a group of our college friends.”  Kelly said with a
radiant smile.
 
 
 
“Oh, I see…you’re in college, huh?”  Burton said with an inquisitive
look while wiping his mustache.  “Well, you picked a great place to
vacation.  Hmm..well, Kelly and Alicia, am I right?”  Burton looked at
the girls for confirmation that he had recalled their names correctly. 
Once he had received the nod of affirmation, Burton proceeded, “I
appreciate your willingness to include Nicholas in your plans for the
night, but we just arrived and we have reservations in the restaurant
for dinner.  But, thank you for your kind offer.  I hope you enjoy the
skiing.”  Burton said with a definitive nod as he grabbed Nicholas’s
elbow to guide him in the direction of the restaurant.
 
 
 
“Okay.”  Kelly said with a look of disappointment.  “Maybe we will see
you tomorrow, Nicholas?” 
 
 
 
“Yeah, sure.”  Nicholas said a quick glance back to where the girls were
standing.
 
 
 
Nicholas was mortified!  Why did his father have to be so controlling. 
He never let Nicholas do anything fun and here he was, faced with a
great opportunity to hang out with these awesome college students and
his Dad ruined the whole thing.
 
 
 
As the hostess was seating them, Burton looked over at Nicholas and saw
he was disappointed.  “Nicholas, those kids are way too old for you to
be hanging out with. You understand that don’t you, son?”  Burton asked,
hoping that Nicholas would see his point.
 
 
 
“I don’t know.  They seemed like really nice people to me.”  Nicholas
said as he placed his napkin on his lap.  “I rarely get to do anything
fun when I am at school and I really wanted to go with them.” Nicholas
said as he looked down, realizing that he was starting to whine,
something Burton never tolerated.
 
 
 
“Nicholas, I promise you will have fun here!  It’s just that you need to
be around people your own age.  I know it is hard for you to understand,
but some day you will.”
 
 
 
Recognizing that his comment was not providing enough reassurance,
Burton tried once again.  “Look, Nicholas, college kids move in faster
crowds.  They enjoy partying and doing things that a fifteen-year-old
boy should not be involved in.  Okay?” 
 
 
 
Nicholas nodded and didn’t say a word.
 
 
 
Over dinner, Burton showed Nicholas all the trails and the location of
the ski lifts on the map that he had picked up at the front desk.  They
talked about the itinerary for the next day and it helped Nicholas get
his mind off his earlier disappointment.
 
 
 
After dinner, they headed back to the suite and as they walked through
the lobby, Nicholas looked around carefully to see if he could spot any
of the college students.  Unfortunately, there was no sign of Kelly,
Alicia or any of the other kids.
 
 
 
Back in the suite, Nicholas changed into his pajamas and reluctantly
asked, “Dad, can I watch some television or do you want me to go to bed?” 
 
 
 
Nicholas was usually required to be in bed by 10:00 at school and this
was the policy at home as well.  The clock read 9:50 and he figured that
he better ask so he was clear about the vacation rules.
 
 
 
“Go ahead, turn on the T.V.  Actually, I think I will join you!  Do you
want me to make some popcorn?”  Burton said with a smile.
 
 
 
“Sure.  I’d eat some.”  Nicholas said, surprised that his father agreed
to the television idea without even glancing at the clock.
 
 
 
Popcorn in hand, Burton plopped down on the couch next to Nicholas. 
“What are you watching?”  Burton asked trying to make sense of the movie.
 
 
 
“/Indiana Jones/ is on.  I always wanted to see this when it was out in
the theater.”  Nicholas said completely entranced.
 
 
 
“Okay, well /Indiana Jones/ it is!”  Burton said while throwing a
handful of popcorn in his mouth.
 
 
 
For a moment, Nicholas felt like everything was right in his world.  He
was sitting there in front of a warm, cozy fire, watching a fun movie
with his father.  He felt a sense of peace that he had never experienced
since his mother’s death and a smile came to his face.  The fact that he
was going to have his father’s undivided attention for the next 5 days,
helped to ease his earlier frustration about not being allowed to go
with Kelly and Alicia. 
 
 
 
An hour later…
 
 
 
“Okay.”  Burton said with a yawn as the credits began to roll on the
television screen.  “You better get to bed, young man or you won’t have
any energy for a packed day of skiing.”
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said with a smile as he got up from the couch.  As
he headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth he said, “Thanks, Dad for
everything.”
 
 
 
Burton just smiled and said, “Okay. Now go to bed.” 
 
 
 
An hour later, Burton decided that he should call it a night too. Before
heading into his bedroom, he peeked into Nick’s room, only to find him
sleeping soundly on top of the covers.  Burton pulled the blankets over
Nick and while rearranging the out flung arms and legs, Burton marveled
at how much Nick had grown since Thanksgiving.  Nicholas started to stir
a bit and Burton waited until he settled back into a deep sleep before
he gently rubbed his hand over Nicholas’s head, barely disturbing his
soft, short curls. 
 
 
 
PART V
 
 
 
 
It was 6:30 in the morning and Nicholas sat up in bed and rubbed his
eyes.  He looked out the window and saw that snow was still gently
falling.  The snow-covered hills appeared as if they were sparkling and
Nicholas could barely contain himself.  He listened for a moment to see
if his father was up, as he desperately wanted to head outdoors. 
 
 
 
Sure enough, as Nicholas opened his bedroom door, he saw his father
sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee and a newspaper in hand. 
Burton heard the door open and he glanced up to catch his pajama clad
son standing in the doorway.
 
 
 
“Hey!  Good morning!”  Burton said as he removed his glasses from his
head and rested them on top of the newspaper on his lap.  “Did you sleep
okay?”
 
 
 
“Yeah.  That bed is ten times more comfortable than my bed at school.” 
Nicholas said as he worked his way to the kitchenette.
 
 
 
“Yeah, I bet!”  Burton said chuckling.  “Hey, I had them stock the
refrigerator with juice for you and there should be some cereal in the
cupboard next to the stove.”
 
 
 
“Thanks.”  Nicholas said as he reached for the orange juice.
 
 
 
“You know,” Burton said, “we could go grab some breakfast off the lobby
in that quaint bistro.  Do you feel up to that?”
 
 
 
“If you’re hungry, I’ll go.  But otherwise I am fine with the juice.” 
Nicholas said between gulps.
 
 
 
“Well, you have to eat something, Nicholas.  You won’t survive out on
the slopes for more that an hour without some energy.”  Burton said with
a sincere expression.
 
 
 
“I’ll be fine, Dad.  Really.”  Nicholas said.  “I never eat breakfast.”
 
 
 
“Don’t they feed you at school?  No wonder why you always look so skinny
when you come home.”  Burton said teasingly.
 
 
 
“Dad, they feed us, I just don’t like the food.”  Nicholas said as he
thought for a moment about the daily runny eggs, limp bacon and
disgusting oatmeal.
 
 
 
“Okay.”  Burton said as he once again picked up the newspaper.
 
 
 
“Dad, can I get my gear on and head out?  I saw through the window that
the chairlifts are already running and there are people on the slopes.” 
Nicholas said while leaning on the counter.
 
 
 
“Sure, son.  Be careful though, okay?  I’m going to finish the paper,
grab some breakfast, and then I will meet you out there.  Why don’t we
agree to meet by the main lift at 10:00?  How does that sound?”   Burton
said as he glanced at his watch to gauge the time.
 
“Great! That works for me.”  Nicholas said as he darted towards his room. 
 
 
 
Nicholas quickly showered and began to layer his ski clothes on.  The
powdery hills were calling him.
 
 
 
“I’m taking off, Dad.”  Nicholas called to his father as he grabbed his
boots.
 
 
 
“Okay.  Have fun and uh, Nicholas, please keep to the trails we talked
about yesterday until a ski pro can accompany you later today. 
Understood?”  Burton said with a concerned look.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said.  “See ya!” 
 
 
 
“Hey!”  Burton yelled as his son was almost out the door.  “Where is
your hat?  Your hair is still wet!”
 
 
 
“I have it, Dad.  It’s right here.”  Nicholas said as he waved his hat
for his father to see.
 
 
 
“Well, put it on, okay?”  Burton said with smile.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said as he quietly shut the door behind.   As he
quickly worked his way down the hall, he could smell the freshly brewed
coffee coming from the lobby and he heard the quiet bustle of early
morning skiers convening.  As he turned the corner into the lobby he was
shocked to see Kelly standing there holding two cups of hot chocolate.
 
 
 
“Hey!  Nicholas!”  Kelly yelled trying to get his attention without
spilling the drinks.
 
 
 
“Hi!”  Nicholas called back, already feeling a nervous jitter coming
over him.  “How was the movie?”
 
 
 
“Boring.”  Kelly said as she walked towards Nicholas.  “You’re lucky you
didn’t go.”
 
 
 
“Are you going skiing soon?”  Nicholas asked hoping that she would say
‘yes’.
 
 
 
“Actually, none of us have even gone to bed yet!  We stayed up all night
talking and hanging out.”  Kelly said with a giggle.
 
 
 
“I guess you must be pretty tired then, huh?”  Nicholas asked with a
hint of disappointment in his voice.
 
 
 
“No, not really!  I’m used to partying late into the night.  I gotta run
this hot chocolate to Alicia and then maybe we will join you.”  Kelly
said with a charming smile.
 
 
 
“Really?”  Nicholas asked with disbelief.
 
 
 
“Sure!  Where are you gonna be?” 
 
 
 
“Oh…I’m going to stick to the yellow and red trails until later today. 
But, if you tell me when you plan on coming out, I will meet you
someplace?”  Nicholas said with enthusiasm.
 
 
 
“Okay. Lets say we meet right outside the lobby by the ski rental
station at 8:00.”  Kelly said as she pointed her one free finger in the
direction of the rental stand.
 
 
 
“Great!  I’ll see you in a bit then!”  Nicholas said as he tried to
rearrange his equipment that was sliding out of his hands.
 
 
 
“Cool.  Catch ya later!”  Kelly said as she walked away.
 
 
 
Nicholas turned to head outdoors with a huge grin on his face.  He
couldn’t believe that Kelly was actually willing to talk to him after
the embarrassing scene with his father last night.  Furthermore, she was
clearly willing to look past his young age and dorky hair!
 
 
 
Nicholas was quick to get his gear on and had already been down the
hills five times before it was time to meet up with Kelly and Alicia. 
He was amazed at how quickly his skills returned.  At first, Nicholas
felt a bit shaky, but by the end he was developing immense speed and
agility as he cut into the crisp snow.  As Nicholas weaved in and out of
the powder, he felt exhilarated.  By the end of his morning expedition,
he felt incredibly tempted to venture beyond the trails that his father
deemed appropriate, but he refrained.  Burton was willing to let
Nicholas explore some of the harder courses, but he insisted that he
have a few private lessons with the ski pro before attempting to do so.
Knowing this, Nicholas figured that he had better obey the rules until
his ski lesson.
 
 
 
By 7:52, Nicholas was leaning on his poles with skis at his feet,
waiting for the girls.  Despite constant disciplinary action from the
headmaster at boarding school and Burton, Nicholas was never one to be
on time.  However, today was a rare occasion and he felt compelled to be
early.  He feared that a late arrival might lead to another missed
opportunity to hangout with these attractive college girls. 
 
 
 
“Nicholas! Hey, Nicholas!”  Alicia yelled while waving her arm high
above her head.  “We’re coming!  Wait up!”
 
 
 
Nicholas waved back to acknowledge that he saw them.
 
 
 
Both the girls were out of breath when they reached Nicholas.  “Sorry,”
Kelly said. “We were running around trying to find our stuff.  I guess
we had a wild night!  Our entire room is trashed and we couldn’t even
find our skis among the mess.”
 
 
 
“That’s okay.  I haven’t been waiting long.”  Nicholas said with a
charming smile.
 
 
 
“Cool.  Well, let’s head to the chairlift and get started!”  Kelly said
energetically.
 
 
 
Almost 2 hours later…
 
 
 
“Nicholas!  No fair!  You cheated!”  Kelly yelled as she finally met up
with Nicholas at the bottom of the hill. 
 
 
 
“I can’t help it if you guys don’t know how to ski!”  Nicholas said
laughing with a radiant smile.
 
 
 
Kelly grabbed a hand full of snow and threw it at Nicholas.  “Where did
you learn to ski like that?”  Kelly said giggling as Nicholas returned
the favor of throwing a snowball at her.
 
 
 
“I don’t know.  I guess I am just a natural!”  Nicholas said.
 
 
 
“Yeah, right!”  Kelly replied sarcastically.
 
 
 
All of a sudden Nicholas remembered that he promised his Dad he would
meet him in the lobby at ten o’clock.  He quickly pulled his sleeve back
on his ski coat and glanced at his watch.  Nicholas breathed a sigh of
relief when he discovered that it was 9:55.  He might still be able to
make it.
 
 
 
“Um, Kelly, I’m really sorry, but I have to go.”  Nicholas said trying
to figure out what cool excuse he could give them as to why he needed to
leave without looking stupid.
 
 
 
“Where do you have to go?  It’s only ten o’clock!”  Alicia said while
glancing over to Kelly.
 
 
 
“I..I have to meet my Dad.”  Nicholas said as he lowered eyes.  He was
never good at lying and this situation was no exception.
 
 
 
“Oh.  Well, do you want to get together later?”  Kelly said with
disappointment.
 
 
 
“Of course I do!  Are you kidding?!”  Nicholas said with his charming smile.
 
 
 
“Okay.  Well we are in room 105 so stop by if you can!”  Kelly said as
she and Alicia turned around to head back to the chairlifts.
 
 
 
Nicholas removed his skis and proceeded to head into the lobby.  He saw
his father right away near the fireplace and he waved to get his attention.
 
 
 
“How was it?”  Burton said as he patted Nicholas on the back.  “Did you
have fun?”
 
 
 
“Yeah.  It was great!  Do you want to go out now?”  Nicholas asked not
wanting to wait another minute indoors.
 
 
 
“Sure.  Now remember, I am not nearly as good at this sport as you!! 
So, you gotta take it easy on me.”  Burton said chuckling.
 
 
 
“Okay.  I promise.”  Nicholas said getting more and more anxious.
 
 
 
“Oh, I almost forgot.  I met the ski pro and he is going to give you a
private lesson at 11:00 so we need to be back here by then, okay?” 
Burton said as he began to put on his gloves.
 
 
 
“Okay. Thanks for setting up the lesson.  Do you think that I can do the
black diamond trail with the instructor?”  Nicholas asked while opening
the door out of the lobby.
 
 
 
“I don’t know, son. We’ll let the ski pro make that decision.”  Burton
said as he clipped his boots into his skis.
 
 
 
Later that day…
 
 
 
The private lesson had gone extremely well and the ski pro, Matt, made a
point of telling Burton that Nicholas should really consider staying
involved with the sport either through school or lessons.  Burton, of
course, informed Matt that he doubted Nicholas would have time due to
the rigorous nature of his academic program, but that he would give it
some thought.
 
 
 
While Nicholas was skiing with the instructor, Burton had spent some
time researching local attractions and nice restaurants.  He discovered
that a five star restaurant one of the attorneys at his office had told
him about was just down the road.  He proceeded to make reservations for
6:00 and this meant that the skiing would have to come to a halt by
5:00.   After a busy day of skiing, Burton and Nicholas were both more
than ready to grab an early dinner and find something to do that did not
involve moving major muscle groups. 
 
 
 
Back in the suite, Nicholas showered while his father placed some phone
calls to the office.  From the bathroom, Nicholas could tell that things
were not going as smoothly as his father had hoped.  He could hear his
father yelling at various people and asking them why they hadn’t done
this or that.  Nicholas could sympathize with the people on the
receiving end of the phone.  He had been there himself many, many times. 
 
 
 
Reluctant to open the bathroom door, Nicholas peeked through a crack to
see if his father was still pretty uptight.  Burton was pacing back and
forth with the phone in one hand and a glass of scotch in the other.  He
heard his father say, “Okay, that’s fine Sheila.  Please contact me
tonight if the paperwork does not come in.  If it doesn’t, I will need
to draft a revision to our original offer by tomorrow morning.” 
 
 
 
Burton put down the phone and had a look of disgust.  Nicholas saw that
his father was starting to calm down and he proceeded to open the door.
 
 
 
“Hi, Dad.  Is everything okay?”  Nicholas asked with his head lowered.
 
 
 
“Yeah, son it’s fine.  You about ready?”  Burton said trying to put a
smile back on his face.
 
 
 
“Yeah almost.”  Nicholas said as he headed back towards the bathroom.
 
 
 
“Nicholas, you need to wear a tie, okay?”  Burton said as he was picking
up his suit coat that was draped over the arm of the couch
 
 
 
“Do I have to?”  Nicholas said with a scowl on his face. 
 
 
 
“Yes, you have to.  Now go and put one on.”  Burton said with a stern
look as he pointed his finger in the direction of Nicholas’s room.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said as he bowed his head and headed into the
bedroom.  Nicholas was familiar with the routine.  When things started
to get chaotic at the office, his father would get tense and his
patience level would decline dramatically.  Consequently, Nicholas
promised himself that he was going to be on his best behavior for the
rest of the night.
 
 
 
“Much better!”  Burton said with a smile as Nicholas entered the room in
a crisp dress shirt, handsome tie, and sport coat.  His hair was neatly
groomed and he had rosy cheeks from a sun-filled day on the slopes. 
Burton realized that perhaps he had snapped unjustly at Nicholas about
the tie issue.  Since Nicholas was required to wear a tie on a daily
basis at school, Burton could understand why a tie would not be a
welcomed accessory on vacation.
 
 
 
In an attempt to assure Nicholas that he was not upset, he patted his
son’s back as they both grabbed their long dress-coats hung by the door. 
 
 
 
“All right!  Time for some dinner!”  Burton said as he held the door
open for Nicholas.
 
 
 
Oddly enough, as Burton and Nicholas entered the hallway, Kelly and
three of her college friends that Nicholas recognized from earlier, were
heading towards them.  Kelly was incredibly impressed with how handsome
Nicholas looked and she made a point to make physical contact with him. 
As she passed, Kelly gently brushed up against Nicholas and whispered,
“You look hot!” in his ear. She followed her seductive comment with a
gentle caress of her hand over Nicholas’s shoulder. Nicholas immediately
looked down in embarrassment as he father observed the whole scene. 
 
 
 
As Kelly skipped past, she spun around and whistled flirtatiously back
at Nicholas.  “Stop by later, okay?”  Kelly called out with a giddy
expression.  All the kids in the group made a point of teasing Kelly by
saying, “Oooh. Somebody has a crush!”
 
 
 
Nicholas’s face was bright red and he couldn’t believe that Kelly had
the guts to say those things right in front of his father. 
 
 
 
“Is that one of the kids you met last night?”  Burton asked with a hint
of concern in his voice.
 
 
 
“Yeah.  That’s Kelly.”  Nicholas mumbled as he kept his head down.  He
prayed that his father wouldn’t say anything more about it. Nick felt
very uncomfortable with what Kelly said, and he wanted the ground to
swallow him whole.  
 
 
 
“Oh.”  Burton said as he rubbed his mustache.  “I see.”
 
 
 
Burton had arranged for a limousine to pick them up since he had learned
that the lodge shuttle system was terribly unreliable.  Burton wanted
desperately to talk with Nicholas about the scene in the hallway, but he
didn’t know how to approach the subject.  He was shocked at the fact
that young girls would behave in such a brazen manner and he was worried
that Nicholas might feel compelled to have future interactions with
them.  As they sat in silence waiting for the limo, Burton was once
again reminded of how little he understood the art of parenting.  Anne
would have known exactly what to say and she would have worded things in
a gentle, non-offensive way.  Burton wished that he had paid more
attention to those little moments when Anne interacted with Nicholas
about tough issues. 
 
 
 
Burton decided that he couldn’t bear the silence anymore so he struck up
a conversation about skiing while they sat in the limousine. 
 
 
 
“I was thinking that tomorrow we should schedule another lesson for you
with the ski pro.  How does that sound?”  Burton said still thinking
back to the hallway scene.
 
 
 
“That would be great!”  Nicholas said as his eyes lit up.  “I had a
blast and I learned a lot.”
 
 
 
“Good.  Good.”  Burton said slowly nodding his head.
 
 
 
Over dinner, Burton made several attempts to engage Nicholas in a
conversation about school.  Nicholas politely answered all of Burton’s
questions, but refused to elaborate.  Nicholas hated Wellington but he
felt it was pointless to tell his father that.  So, whenever Burton
would ask if he was happy with the school, Nicholas would quickly reply
with, “Yeah.  I guess it’s okay.  I’d rather be at Oxridge and living at
home though.”  Burton of course would answer with a chuckle and his
usual pat answer was, “Well, we both know that’s not going to happen. 
You are getting a great education and the school is providing you with
more discipline and structure than Oxridge.”
 
 
 
Aside from the school talk, the dinner went smoothly.  The food was
excellent and the live jazz music was very relaxing.  During the ride
home, Burton asked Nicholas if he would be okay hanging out in the suite
and watching television while he took care of some office stuff. 
Nicholas was feeling pretty tired and he had no objections.
 
 
 
When they arrived in the lobby, it was 8:40 and the usual partygoers
were gathering around.  Alicia was sitting on some boy’s lap by the
front desk giggling away and there were several other members of her
clan in the vicinity too.  Nicholas tried desperately to stay hidden
next to his father, but of course Alicia spotted him immediately. 
 
 
 
“Nicholas!  Over here!!”  Alicia yelled while nearly falling of the
chair.  “Hey!  We’re having a party in room 105!  Come join us, okay?” 
 
 
 
Burton grabbed Nicholas’s arm and firmly said, “Nicholas, come with me. 
That girl is drunk and you are having no part of it.” 
 
 
 
Burton’s grip was pretty strong and it actually was a bit painful. 
“Dad, I’m coming.”  Nicholas said, hoping that his father would release
his hand.
 
 
 
“These college kids are up to no good and I sensed it the minute I met
them last night.  I cannot believe their parents let them go on these
trips with no supervision!”  Burton ranted all the way down the hallway
to their suite.  Meanwhile, Nicholas craned his neck, trying to get a
good look at Alicia as they were walking.  Drinking at Wellington was
grounds for expulsion, so this was an entirely new experience for him to
witness. 
 
 
 
Once Burton opened the door he began to loosen his tie and he said,
“Boy, I could use a drink.  Why don’t you change your clothes and watch
some TV, okay?
 
 
 
“Sure.”  Nicholas said as he lowered his head and walked towards his
bedroom.  Within minutes, Nicholas heard Burton on the phone and he
could tell that it was going to be a long night.  His father was clearly
going to be tied up solidifying Mr. Blakely’s business deal for the
majority of the evening.  Instead of going back into the main room, he
decided to lie on his bed and watch TV in there.  Just then, he heard a
light tapping sound at the window.  Not having a clue what it was, he
slowly opened the curtains only to find Kelly’s nose and tongue smushed
against the glass. 
 
 
 
Nicholas quickly tried to find a way to open the window.  Once the latch
budged, he pried the window open and started laughing.  “What are you
doing?”  Nicholas asked.
 
 
 
“I’ve come to steal you for the night!”  Kelly laughed loudly.  “You
have to come down to our room.  Everybody who is anybody is going to be
at our party!  We’re even planning a midnight ski race down the black
diamond trail.” 
 
 
 
“Well, there is no way I can come.  I know my father won’t let me,”
Nicholas said as the sad reality was sinking in.
 
 
 
“So, who cares?  Come anyway!  Just sneak out the door!”  Kelly
whispered, still finding humor in the whole thing despite its lack of
comical content.
 
 
 
“Are you drunk?”  Nicholas asked quizzically.
 
 
 
“Yeah.  What’s it to ya?”  Kelly said still laughing.
 
 
 
“Nothing.  I was just wondering.”  Nicholas said recognizing that his
father was probably right about Alicia too. 
 
 
 
“I don’t know.”  Nicholas said while pondering his options.  “I just
don’t think it will work.”
 
 
 
“Will you try for me?”  Kelly said with a whine.  “Please? I want you to
come.  It would mean the world to me.” 
 
 
 
“I’ll try.  That’s all I can say.”  Nicholas said while he shrugged his
shoulders.
 
 
 
“Cool.  I’ll see you later then.  Room 105, remember?”
 
 
 
“Yeah.  I remember.”  Nicholas said as he shut the window. 
 
 
 
As Kelly moved away from the window, Nicholas could still picture how
beautiful she had looked standing there in the moonlight.  Her rosy
cheeks, long, shiny hair, radiant smile, and hourglass figure, were
certainly enticing Nicholas to make the escape.  He didn’t want to
disobey his father, but he knew that the opportunity to party with a fun
crowd of college students would never happen again.  Nicholas also began
to rationalize the deceitful act by reminding himself that his father
was more concerned about Mr. Blakely’s business deal than he was with
spending time with him. 
 
 
 
Nicholas lay back on his bed.  How was he going to finagle this one?  He
thought for a moment amount trying the honest approach and he quickly
shot that idea down.  He knew what the answer was going to be if he
asked.  Then he began to ponder the dishonest options.  Of the ones that
entered his head, he decided that he would wait until his father was
completely engrossed with his work and he would leave out the window. 
He scoped out the dimensions of the window and he was convinced that he
could fit, minus the skis of course.  He would just have to forgo the
midnight ski run.
 
 
 
Nicholas decided to wait until it was 9:45 before opening his bedroom
door to tell his father that he was turning off the TV and going to
sleep.  He had already positioned sheets into the shape of his body
under the heavy blankets to make it look as if he was sleeping,, a trick
he had seen on a movie once.
 
 
 
“Dad?”  Nicholas said as he peered around the corner, dressed in pajamas
in an attempt to play the part accurately.  “Dad, I’m going to bed now. 
I just wanted to let you know.” 
 
 
 
“Okay, son.  Sleep tight.  I’ll try to keep it down out here so that I
don’t wake you.”  Burton said, looking over the top of his glasses that
had placed on the tip of his nose.
 
 
 
“Good night.”  Nicholas said as he turned to go back to his room.
 
 
 
“Night.”  Burton said with a smile.
 
 
 
Once back in his room, Nicholas quietly, but speedily changed clothes. 
He grabbed his shoes, jacket, and gloves and made his way through the
window.  It was a tight fit, but he made it without ripping an article
of clothing or losing a limb.  He gently shut the window behind him and
practiced a few times to make sure that he would be able to get it open
from the outside when he returned.
 
 
 
Not knowing where room 105 was from the outside, Nicholas was forced to
enter the lodge back through the lobby doors.  This made him nervous
since it required that he walk right past his suite in the process. 
Nicholas heard loud music coming from one of the rooms and he didn’t
even need to look at the number on the door to know that he was in the
right place.
 
 
 
Nicholas politely knocked on the door several times with no avail. He
finally realized that the music was so loud that no one in the room
probably heard the faint knocks.  Feeling bold, Nicholas decided to turn
the doorknob.  Finding that it was unlocked, he opened it and entered
the smoke-filled room.  As he stepped into the thick haze, he became
lost among a large crowd of rowdy college students.  People were smoking
cigarettes, drinking beer, and dancing all over the place.  Nicholas was
trying to find a face he recognized for several minutes before Kelly
appeared from the little kitchenette.
 
 
 
“Nicholas!  You came!!”  Kelly screamed with delight.  “Come here.  I
want you to meet some more of my friends!”
 
 
 
Kelly grabbed Nicholas’s hand and literally pulled him towards her,
causing Nicholas to lose his balance and trip over a guy and a girl who
were passed out on the floor.
 
 
 
“Oops.  Sorry!”  Kelly giggled loudly.
 
 
 
“That’s okay.” Nicholas said while trying to gesture his apologies to
the now aroused couple lying on the floor.
 
 
 
“Hey, everyone!  This is Nicholas, my very good friend.”  Kelly
announced to a group of about 10 people with slurred speech.
 
 
 
“Hey, Nick, ”several people chimed.  “Are you ready to party hard?” 
 
 
 
“Um..well, yeah, I guess.”  Nicholas said with apprehension.
 
 
 
“Get this man a drink!”  One guy yelled who had taken off his shirt and
was standing on the table.
 
 
 
“Here you go, man.  Here’s a beer.  Enjoy!”  Another guy said as he
handed Nicholas a beer after he had already taken a sip from it.
 
 
 
“Great.  Thanks.”  Nicholas said with disgust as he wiped the top of the
beer bottle off with his hand.
 
 
 
“Come on, let’s go dance!”  Kelly said as she once again pulled Nicholas
over to an incredibly cluttered section of the room that was apparently
designated as the dance floor.
 
 
 
Nicholas had taken ballroom dancing lessons at the Riverbrook Country
Club when he lived with his mother.  He was required to attend class two
days a week and his mother would make him practice with her between
sessions.  He hated it then and he was certain he would hate it now.  
However, he noticed right away that there was no rhyme or reason to the
style of dance these college kids were displaying. Feeling at bit more
at ease, Nicholas sat his beer bottle down and joined in the fun. 
 
 
 
Before he knew it, he had finished 3 bottles of beer and had been
dancing for hours.  He really wanted a soda to drink but the only thing
he could find in the kitchen was alcohol.  Not wanting to consume any
more beer, Nicholas grabbed a plastic cup and poured a glass of water. 
The beer was starting to give him a slight headache.  The last time he
had had an alcoholic beverage was when he got caught at his father’s
office picnic drinking a bottle of wine with Rachel, a close childhood
friend.  His father went ballistic and it didn’t help matters that
Nicholas shouldered the blame for Rachel too.  Remembering the awful
scene and the punishment that followed, Nicholas felt prompted to dump
out the fourth bottle of beer that Kelly had handed him.
 
 
 
Pretty soon, there was talk generating among the crowd that the party
was going to move out to the slopes.  Nicholas felt a bit dizzy and
frankly had no interest in going skiing.  Thankfully he did not have his
skis with him so he would have an easy excuse to call it a night.  As
the alcohol began to run its course, Nicholas was starting to get
worried about how he was going to make it back into his room without
disturbing his father.  He figured his father wouldn’t bother checking
on him, if at all, until one in the morning.  Usually when Burton was
swamped with work, he would stay up quite late working in his study. 
Nicholas was familiar with his work routine and consequently, he assumed
he was safe for at least another hour. 
 
 
 
Alicia came running up to Nicholas and grabbed his arm.  “Come on!  Grab
your skis!  We’re heading out for a midnight run!”
 
 
 
“Alicia, I can’t go.  I don’t have my skis with me.  Thanks, but I
really should try to get back into my room.”  Nicholas said while
feeling a bit more coherent. 
 
 
 
“Oh, no you don’t!  Alicia said as she grabbed Nicholas’s shoulder as he
was walking away.  “We have an extra set of skis here.  You can use
those!” 
 
 
 
“Oh, I don’t know.  It’s getting pretty late.  I really should go.” 
Nicholas said looking down and starting to fidget.
 
 
 
“Why, you chicken?  Do you have to go back to daddy?”  Kelly whined
loudly.  “I was counting on you to be my ski partner.  You can’t let me
down now?” 
 
 
 
Nicholas paused and gave her plea some thought.  “Okay.  I’ll go.  But,
I am only going to go for one run, okay?”
 
 
 
“Alright!  Hey guys, Nick’s game.  Let’s go!” Kelly yelled across the
room as everyone started to work their ways towards the door. 
 
 
 
“Kelly, what about the skis?  Alicia said you had an extra set. Do you
know where they are at?”  Nicholas said with a hint of regret in his
voice that he had committed to this crazy idea.
 
 
 
“Yeah silly, they are right here!”  Kelly said, nearly tripping over her
own feet as she reached behind the couch on the cluttered floor.
 
 
 
“Wow.  I think these may be too small.”  Nicholas said as he looked at
the skis.  They were certainly an older set and he doubted they would be
nearly as comfortable as his new pair.  “How about boots and poles?” 
Nicholas asked, hoping they didn’t have any and he would have yet
another out.
 
 
 
“Here you go.  They’re right here!”  Kelly said.  “Now lets go. 
Everybody is probably already on the lift.” 
 
 
 
As Alicia, Kelly, and Nicholas quickly worked their way down the hall,
Nicholas noticed that the light was still on in his suite.  He could see
it through a tiny crack at the bottom of the door and this provided
assurance that his father was still hard at work.  This caused him to
breathe a sigh of relief as he held the lobby door open for the girls.
 
 
 
PART VI
 
 
Safely outside, Nicholas clipped his ill-fitting boots into the terribly
short skis that he borrowed from Alicia and Kelly.  Nicholas felt
compelled to go for the moonlight ski run after enduring a wealth of
teasing from the girls about needing to ‘check-in with his daddy’. 
Nicholas wanted more than anything to be accepted by this college crowd
and he knew that he would lose their social approval if he failed to go. 
 
 
 
At Wellington, Nicholas was known for being a loner.  He never made
efforts to socialize with the other guys and he much preferred to stay
in his room and study, even during free time.  For some reason, Nicholas
felt compelled to interact with these college kids, even if it meant
disobeying his father.  
 
 
 
As they approached the lift, there was only one party straggler left,
waiting to hop aboard.  “Hey, Brian!  Wait up!”  Alicia yelled, clearly
recognizing the guy from afar. 
 
 
 
Brian quickly turned around; waved and yelled, “Hurry up!  Everybody
else is already at the top.”
 
 
 
As the four of them jumped on the next chair, Nicholas began to regret
his decision to go. The girls were both intoxicated and he could barely
make sense of their slurred speech.  To top it off, it was bitter cold
outside and he wasn’t dressed appropriately.  Nonetheless, he tried to
put a smile on his face as he turned towards Brian. 
 
 
 
“Hi, Brian.  I’m Nick.  It’s nice to meet you.”  Nicholas said with a
sincere nod.
 
 
 
“Hi, Nick.  It’s nice to meet you too.”  Brian said as he turned to
Nicholas who was seated on his right with a smile. 
 
 
 
Nicholas could tell right away that Brian seemed like a pretty cool guy
and best of all, he was sober and coherent.  “So, do you go to Pitt with
Alicia and Kelly?”  Nicholas said trying to make conversation as the
lift slowly creaked up the hill.
 
 
 
“Uh, I guess.  I just met them this weekend.  My friend, Greg,
apparently knows them from somewhere.”  Brian said as if he the two
drunk girls were not even present.  “So, where do you go to school?” 
 
 
 
“Wellington.  It’s in Connecticut.”  Nicholas said looking down.
 
 
 
“Yeah?  I hear that’s a pretty tough school.  Very competitive and
strict.”  Brian said curiously.  “Do you like it there?”
 
 
 
“No, no…not at all.”  Nicholas said chuckling, while shaking his head.
 
 
 
“So, why do you go there then?”  Brian asked with a challenging tone.
 
 
 
“I don’t have a choice.  My father made the decision to send me there.” 
Nicholas said feeling embarrassed that he didn’t attend a normal public
school like the majority of kids his age.
 
 
 
“If I were you, I would become the biggest rebel, break all the rules,
and hope to get expelled.  You know, that could be your ticket out of
there!”  Brian said with a devilish smile.
 
 
 
“Unfortunately that wouldn’t work.  Guys at school have tried that
before and it gets you nowhere fast, except locked in your room.” 
Nicholas said matter-of-factly, as he looked down at the girlish skis
that were dangling from his feet.  The boots were way too tight and he
tried to wiggle his toes to restore circulation to his frozen toes.
 
 
 
Meanwhile, Kelly and Alicia were giggling about absolutely nothing and
there were a few times when Nicholas was actually worried that one of
them might fall off the lift.
 
 
 
Once they reached the top of the hill, everybody jumped off the chair
and gathered around the trail that was marked by the infamous black
diamond.  Somebody in the crowd had managed to haul several six-packs
with them and cans of ice-cold beer were being distributed among the
crowd.  Kelly graciously grabbed two beers as the pack reached her and
she threw one of the cans over to Nicholas.
 
 
 
“Nick!  Catch!”  Kelly said laughing as Nicholas got hit in the chest
with a poorly thrown and unexpected can of beer.
 
 
 
“Thanks.”  Nicholas said half-heartedly.  He was starting to get cold
and he no longer could feel his toes on his right foot.  Aside from a
winter coat and gloves, Nicholas had no protective winter gear on.  The
cold, brisk wind was very intense at the top of the hill and he was
actually grateful when Kelly approached him and wrapped her arms around
him.  He could feel the warmth radiating from her body and it felt
good.  Brian glanced over and saw this affectionate act.  Part of him
was jealous of Nick and another part felt extremely sorry for him. 
Brian had been unsuccessful in his attempts to win Kelly’s heart and it
bothered him to see her so infatuated with a prep school kid with a
trust fund.  Brian tried to console himself by thinking about how
shallow and superficial he discovered Kelly to be.  Kelly was the type
of girl who was simply along for the ride, wanting to be seen with an
attractive guy, but never seeking a genuine or mature relationship. 
 
 
 
“Alright, whose up for a run down the black diamond?”  Yelled a drunken
member of the group.
 
 
 
Everybody cheered and raised their cans of beer.  “Okay, let’s divide up
into teams of 4 and we will meet down at the bottom!”  Shouted another
individual who was clearly the ringleader.
 
 
 
Individuals began to roam around the crowd, trying to entice others to
join their ski group.  Alicia and Kelly quickly nabbed Nicholas and
moments later Brian asked to join their group as well.  The four of them
stood at the top by the diamond marker and they waited a few moments for
the group in front of them to clear the first deep bend in the trail
before heading down.  Nicholas looked at the twists and turns that lay
ahead and he saw the moonlight glistening off the snow, a sure sign that
the course would be slick. 
 
 
 
“Is everybody ready?”  Brian asked anxiously.  “We need to stick
together, okay?  Do you guys want me to lead?” 
 
 
 
“Nicholas should lead since he is a better skier than you!”  Kelly said
teasingly, clearly wanting to get a rise out of Brian.
 
 
 
“Fine with me!  Go ahead Nick.”  Brian said as he waved his arm to usher
Nicholas in front of him.
 
 
 
Nicholas zipped his coat up to his chin, positioned his skis and pushed
off the top of the hill.  The course was much more challenging than
Nicholas had anticipated.  He remembered to stay low and maintain a
steady position, but the turns were coming up faster and faster.  During
certain sections of the trail, the trees were so thick that very little
moonlight permeated through.  Nicholas was forced to memorize the path
ahead during the brief moments in which the trail was illuminated.
 
 
 
Nicholas could hear screams behind him and he wasn’t sure if they were
made out of delight or fear.  Either way, he was unable to remove his
eyes from the trail to look back and check on the status of his partners
in crime.
 
 
 
“Nicholas!!!  Slow down!!”  Kelly screamed at the top of her lungs.
 
 
 
“I can’t!”  Nicholas yelled back, but he was quite sure it went unheard.
All of a sudden, Nicholas saw a fallen tree off to the right of the
trail.  “Stay close behind me and don’t stray off the trail. Tree down
on the right!”  Nicholas shouted, as he slightly tilted his head to
gauge the location of his partners.  All of a sudden, Nicholas’s left
ski slipped out from under him and he lost his position.  Before he knew
it, he was tumbling down the hill, spiraling out of control.
 
 
 
All Nicholas could hear were faint screams from a distance as his
momentum was interrupted by a horrific crash into what he later would
learn to be a boulder.  Upon impact, Nicholas heard a loud ‘pop’ sound,
but he was clueless as to where it was coming from.  Was it equipment
breaking or a body part?  Regardless, Nicholas was in immense pain, he
felt cold, and everything was going black.
 
 
 
“Oh my gosh!”  Alicia screamed.  “Oh my gosh, is he alright?  Is he
breathing?”
 
 
 
“Nick.  Nick.  Nick!  Can you hear me?”  Brian yelled frantically as he
gently rubbed Nicholas's arm.
 
 
 
Nicholas just lay there motionless.
 
 
 
Kelly removed her skis and ran over to Nicholas.  Recognizing that he
was unconscious, she began to pace.  “Oh my God!  Someone needs to go
get help!  What are we going to do?”
 
 
 
“Is there another group coming down behind us?”  Brian said trying to
remain calm.
 
 
 
“No!  We were the last group to go!”  Kelly said panicking.  “Brian, we
need to get help!”
 
 
 
“Kelly, don’t get hysterical on me.  Look, one of us needs to make our
way down the hill to get the ski patrol and someone has to stay here
with Nick.”  Brian said definitively.
 
 
 
“There is no way I can make it down the hill without crashing myself if
I don’t have a lead!”  Kelly said beginning to cry. 
 
 
 
Alicia went over to Kelly and put her arm around her, trying desperately
to comfort her despite her own desire to join in the sobbing.
 
 
 
“Alright then.  I guess I am going down.”  Brian said with deep, tense
sigh.  “Help me find a trail marker so I know how to direct the ski
patrol back here.  I have no idea how far we are from the bottom.” 
 
 
 
The three of the scurried around until Alicia yelled, “Brian!  I found a
marker.  Here, over here!  See, this black sign, it has the number ‘7’
on it.” 
 
 
 
“Great.  Okay, you two need to stay with Nick.  Try to keep him warm and
don’t move him at all.  Understood?”  Brain said as he hurriedly placed
his boots in the skis.  “I’ll be back as soon as I can.  Oh, did Nick
say he is here with his Dad?” 
 
 
 
“Yeah.  I don’t remember the room number, but he is in one of the large
suites off the lobby facing the slopes.”  Kelly said rubbing her
forehand nervously.  ‘But…Brian, his Dad doesn’t know he is out here
with us!” 
 
 
 
“Well, we have to let him know his son is hurt for God’s sake.  Who
cares if he gets upset?"  Brian said as he pushed off and headed down
the slope.
 
 
 
Kelly and Alicia crouched down next to Nicholas.  Nicholas was lying
still, with only his eyelids performing an occasional flutter. Every
time he would wince in pain, Alicia and Kelly would panic.
 
 
 
“Nicholas.  Nicholas, are you okay?  Brian went to get help.  Someone
should be here really soon.”  Kelly said soothingly, trying to reassure
Nicholas that he was not alone.
 
 
 
“My..leg….it hurts.”  Nicholas moaned softly.
 
 
 
“What?  What did you say?”  Alicia said as she placed her ear close to
Nicholas.  Nicholas went quiet and Alicia looked to Kelly.  “Did you
hear what he said?”
 
 
 
“I don’t know.  I heard him say that something hurts.”  Kelly said still
feeling very jittery.
 
 
 
“Try to relax Nick.  Help is coming.”  Kelly said tearfully.
 
 
 
……
 
 
 
“Hey!  Hey!  Over here!”  Brian yelled as he reached the bottom of the
slope.  The rest of the college kids were gathered around a fire pit
that was blazing at the bottom of the hill near the hot tubs. 
 
 
 
Greg, Brian’s college friend, heard him yelling and he left the circle
to meet him.  “What’s up?  Where are Kelly and Alicia?”  The college
friend asked.
 
 
 
Struggling to catch his breath, Brian said, “Hurry, man.  I need help.” 
Brian said bending over panting. 
 
 
 
“What is it?”  Brian’s friend asked while motioning other guys from the
bonfire to come over.
 
 
 
“Kelly’s friend, Nick, is hurt.  He fell and I think it’s pretty bad. 
They are by marker ‘7’ on the trail.”  Brian said completely exhausted
and shaking with nervous energy.
 
 
 
Greg patted Brian’s back and said, “Okay. Hang in there.  I am going to
get help in the lobby.  Guys, stay with Brian, okay?
 
 
 
Greg quickly ran off in the direction of the main lobby while others
from the party began to encompass Brian, seeking information and trying
to provide assistance. 
 
 
 
Moments later, Greg returned with three ski patrol officials and the
resort manager.  They approached Brian, acquired the necessary direction
information and details, and immediately headed out in search of
Nicholas and the girls.  The resort manager stayed behind and questioned
Brian about the accident.
 
 
 
“Brian, do you know anything about the boy that is hurt up there?”  The
manager said as he looked gravely at Brian.
 
 
 
“I don’t know a lot of details, but I do know that he is vacationing
here with his Dad.”  Brian said.  “Unfortunately, I don’t know his last
name, but his first name is Nick.”
 
 
 
“Can you describe what he looks like?”  The manager said, prodding for
more information.
 
 
 
“Umm, he is maybe about 5’4, with short, curly blond hair.  I think he
had a navy blue and gray ski coat on too.  Sorry..I don’t know what else
to say.”  Brian said with a shrug.
 
 
 
“Did you ever see his Dad?”  the manager asked with an intense stare.
 
 
 
“No.  I never did.” Brian said looking down.  “Wait a second, I think I
might have.  I can’t be for certain, but he was standing next to a guy
the other night in the lobby that might have been his Dad.  He was tall,
thinning on top with a big, dark mustache.  Oh, yeah!  I almost forgot! 
Kelly said their suite was one of the large ones off the lobby looking
out over the slopes!”  Brian said with a sense of satisfaction at having
remembered the information.
 
 
 
“Thank you!  That helps a lot!”  the manager said as he ran back into
the lobby.
 
 
 
Moments later, Burton, who was still dressed from dinner, heard a loud
knock on the door to the suite.  He removed his glasses and glanced at
his watch.  He was shocked to see that it was 1:10 am and someone had
the audacity to come pounding on his door.  He slowly removed the papers
that were resting on his lap, placed them on the coffee table, and got
up from the couch.  As he approached the door, he turned the light on in
the hallway and looked through the peephole. 
 
 
 
“Who’s there?”  Burton asked, annoyed at the disturbance.
 
 
 
“Mr. Fallin?  This is Matt Boyer, the manager of the resort.  It’s very
important that I speak with you, sir.”  The manager said gravely.
 
 
 
Burton immediately unlatched the lock and opened the door.  “What is
it?”  Burton said feeling alarmed by the nature of the visit.
 
 
 
“It’s your son, Mr. Fallin.”  The manager said as he maintained a calm
demeanor and kept steady eye contact.  “He was in a skiing accident.  We
have contacted an emergency crew and they are on their way to attend to
him as we speak.”
 
 
 
“What?  What did you say?  I’m sorry uh…Mr. Boyer, “ Burton said trying
to recall the gentleman’s name, “ but I think you have the wrong room.”
 
 
 
“You do have a son staying with you at our resort by the name of “Nick”,
am I correct?”  Mr. Boyer asked recognizing that Burton was most likely
in shock from the news.
 
 
 
“Yes.  Yes I do.”  Burton said with a nod and a grave expression.
 
 
 
“Your son, Mr. Fallin, sounds like he will be in need of medical
attention.  I know this comes as a surprise to you, but I need for you
to come with me.”  Mr. Boyer said with a serious tone.
 
 
 
“Wait one second.”  Burton said as he spun around and headed towards
Nicholas’s room.  He flung the door open and turned on the light.  Part
of him was certain that this outburst would be met with a little sleepy
voice asking what the problem was.  Unfortunately, the room was empty. 
Burton flipped the covers off the bed only to discover perfectly placed
blankets in the shape of a human body.  “What the hell is going on
here?"  Burton yelled.
 
 
 
Burton stormed out of Nicholas’s room and he looked worriedly at Mr.
Boyer.  “He’s gone.  My son is gone!”  Burton blustered in exasperation.
 
 
 
“I know, Mr. Fallin.  I know.”  Mr. Boyer said sympathetically.  “Why
don’t you grab your coat and come with me.” 
 
 
 
“How did this happen?” Burton mumbled to himself.  “I was sitting here
the whole time!  He never left that room!”
 
 
 
“Mr. Fallin, we need to go.  Right this way, please.”  Mr. Boyer said as
he ushered Burton out the door, trying to keep the situation under control.
 
 
 
Burton briskly moved down the hallway, following Mr. Boyer out through
the lobby doors and to the ski patrol outbuilding.
 
 
 
As they entered the building, Burton heard directives being called out
over the CB system.  He couldn’t make out specifically what was being
said, but none of it sounded good.
 
 
 
“Mr. Fallin? Hi, I’m Mark, the director of the ski patrol.”  Mark said
as he shook Burton’s hand.  “My crew has located your son and they are
in the process of stabilizing him.  We..”
 
 
 
Burton quickly interrupted Mark and asked frantically, “Is he okay? 
What do you mean you’re stabilizing him?! “
 
 
 
“Mr. Fallin, ..”  Mark tried to interject, but was once again cut off
mid-sentence.
 
 
 
“I want to see my son!  What the hell is going on here?”  Burton said
rubbing his forehead.
 
 
 
“Mr. Fallin.  Please let me finish.”  Mark said trying to stay calm and
focused.  “Your son crashed into a boulder half-way down the black
diamond trail and he has injured his right leg.  We are not sure how
extensive the damage is at this point.  They have immobilized him and
have placed his leg in a temporary splint.  I have contacted the local
hospital and they are sending a chopper to come and airlift your son to
the emergency room.”
 
 
 
“Oh my God.”  Burton said while pacing back and forth.  “I need to see
my son.  I need to see my son!”  Burton yelled, no longer able to
control his frustration.
 
 
 
“Mr. Fallin, I am going to get you to your son as soon as possible.” 
Mark said calmly.  
 
 
 
“What hospital did you call?”  Burton said with irritation.
 
 
 
“I called Milwood Community Hospital. They are five miles away and we
use them whenever we have emergencies.”  Mark said with confidence.
 
 
 
“Well, that’s not acceptable.  No doctor from Milwood is touching my
son.  Give me the phone!”  Burton said angrily as his face became a deep
red.
 
 
 
“Mr. Fallin!  Please!  I have the situation under control.  The chopper
is on the way.  Please have a seat.  They will pick us up and take us
directly to your son in a matter of minutes.”  Mark said while sliding
the phone on his desk farther away from Burton’s reach.
 
 
 
“You don’t understand,” Burton said while trying to regain his
composure.  “Milwood is not a reputable pediatrics facility.  I want you
to call Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital immediately!  I represent that
hospital and they are the best around.  Do you understand?”
 
 
 
“Okay, Mr. Fallin, I will place the call.  You do know that this will
only waste more time?”  Mark said with a serious tone.
 
 
 
“It will be time well spent in the long-run.”  Burton said as he brushed
his hand through his thinning hair.
 
 
 
Mark immediately got on the phone and called Pittsburgh Children’s
Hospital.  He then radioed his crew to inform of the slight change and
placed a cancellation call to Milwood. 
 
 
 
…..
 
 
 
The chopper finally arrived and Burton was immediately taken up the hill
to the location where his son lay, in shock and in extreme pain. As soon
as the chopper landed and Burton was given permission, he ran over to
his Nick who was packed tightly into a stretcher.
 
 
 
“Nicholas!  Nicholas! “  Burton said as he stroked Nick’s forehead.
 
 
 
“Mr. Fallin, your son has been in and out of consciousness.  He can’t
hear you right now and it is imperative that you not move him in any way.”
 
 
 
“Why does he have that brace on his neck?  What’s wrong?!”  Burton
yelled, trying to be heard over the sound of the chopper.
 
 
 
One of the hospital paramedics calmly placed his hand on Burton’s arm
and said, “Mr. Fallin, it is just a precautionary practice.  Until we
can get him to the hospital for a complete set of x-rays, we need to
proceed very carefully.  Now, please step aside so we can get your son
in the helicopter.”
 
 
 
“Why is he slipping in an out of consciousness?  Is that normal?” 
Burton hollered as they were transporting his son to the chopper.
 
 
 
“Well, part of it is due to shock and part of it is due to the fact that
he has consumed quite a bit of alcohol!”  One of the paramedics said
with a serious expression.
 
 
 
That comment caused Burton to stop dead in his tracks.  He couldn’t
believe his son would do such a thing!  Aside from an occasional act of
disrespect, tardiness, or forgetfulness, Burton found that there were
very few incidents in which he had to discipline Nicholas.  He was
typically an obedient boy who would bow his head in submission the
minute his father would sternly call his name.  The thought of Nicholas
escaping his room, consuming alcohol, and then skiing down a trail that
he knew was off-limits, was incomprehensible.
 
 
 
“Excuse me!”  Burton yelled to the paramedic.  “When you first arrived,
were there any other kids up here with my son?” 
 
 
 
“No, sir.  We just found your boy lying here.”  The paramedic said while
busily strapping Nicholas into the chopper, preparing him for departure.
 
 
 
“I see.” Burton said quizzically.  He knew in his gut that those girls
were involved and he was furious.  Burton’s head was spinning, trying to
make sense of all the unanswered questions. 
 
 
 
 
 
Burton felt tears forming in his eyes as he looked at his pale son,
connected to an intravenous line.  Not able to see Nicholas’s actual
leg, he stared at the bulky lump underneath the heavy blanket, praying
that his son’s leg was not misshapen beyond repair.  Despite his initial
anger with Nicholas’s defiance, Burton wanted to hug his son and tell
him that everything was going to be all right, that he would make it
better. But, a part of him wasn’t so sure he could promise that, and
that very thought scared him. 
 
……
 
 
 
Nicholas was immediately taken into the emergency room and a wealth of
ER doctors and nurses rushed to his attention.  Burton was told that he
could be present, but that he needed to stand off to the side. 
Nicholas’s vital signs were taken, he was rushed to the radiology unit
for x-rays and a CT scan, and an orthopedic surgeon was called in.
 
 
 
The surgeon yelled out some orders to the staff as he examined
Nicholas.  “Nicholas, I’m Dr. Bennett.  I’m going to remove this splint,
examine your leg, and get a new pediatric splint on, okay?”
 
 
 
Nicholas heard what was being said, but he couldn’t find his voice to
respond.  The bright lights in the ER, the noise and the hustle and
bustle of the ER personnel were confusing him.  The brace around his
neck was making it difficult to nod, so his attempt to acknowledge that
he understood, failed.  
 
 
 
As Dr. Bennett and the ER nurses began to lift his leg, a sharp pain
shot up Nicholas’s body.  It was so intense that Nicholas wanted to jump
out of the bed.  He shrieked in pain, “Oww..that hurts!  Please…please
stop!” 
 
 
 
“Nicholas.  You need to hold still.  I know it hurts.  I will give you a
sedative for the pain in a minute, okay?  Hang in there, kiddo.”  Dr.
Bennett said shaking his head as he immediately realized after glancing
at the films and examining the leg that he was looking at a tibial
fracture and from his physical exam, possibly an anterior cruciate
ligament tear.
 
 
 
“Mommy!  Mommy!  I want my Mom!”  Nicholas cried while raising his right
hand to wipe away tears that were streaming down his face.
 
 
 
Burton was furious at the doctors at this point for subjecting his son
to so much pain as he is being examined.  Nicholas’s cry of pain
galvanized Burton into action.  Despite earlier orders to stand aside,
Burton pushed his way through the people surrounding his son’s stretcher
and confronted the physician who had his hands on Nick’s leg. 
 
 
“Shouldn’t you give him something for the pain?”  Burton said furiously.
 
 
 
“The only way to determine the extent of his injuries is to do a good
physical exam, Mr. Fallin.”  Dr. Bennett patiently explained.  “This
isn’t a torture chamber. Sedating him now might disguise any head
injury.  Rest assured, we will give him a strong pain-reliever after
this.” 
 
 
 
Burton returned to the sidelines, chastened by the doctor’s words.  He
felt a heaviness in his chest, like he had just sustained a blow. 
Hearing his son call for his mother who had been deceased for 3 years
was enough to make him want to cry.  “Why? Why was he calling for Anne
and not him?”  Burton thought to himself, feeling like his world was
falling apart.  Nicholas was the only thing he had left in his life and
he couldn’t imagine existing without him.
 
 
 
Nicholas continued to sob and sob.  Several nurses took the time to pat
his arms and head to comfort him and one even dabbed his cheeks with a
Kleenex. 
 
 
 
“We need to get him into surgery stat.”  Dr. Bennett said.
 
 
 
“Do you want me to order an MRI, Dr. Bennett?”  one of the residents asked.
 
 
 
“No, that’s not necessary.  I can scope it while setting the tibia to
determine if we are dealing with a partial or complete ligament tear. 
Let’s get him prepped for surgery, okay?”  Dr. Bennett said with a
definitive nod to his staff as he turned to leave the examining room.
 
 
 
 “Okay, well then…what’s the plan?”  Burton said as he crossed his arms,
bracing himself to hear the worst.
 
 
 
“Well, Mr. Fallin, your son has fractured his tibia which is located
right about here.”  Dr. Bennett said as he demonstrated the location on
his own leg.  “I also have reason to believe that he has torn a critical
ligament in his knee.  I won’t know for sure until I arthroscopically
exam the joint.” 
 
 
 
“So, surgery is the only option here?”  Burton said with concern.
 
 
 
“Yes, Mr. Fallin.  That is our only option.”  Dr. Bennett said with a
serious expression.
 
 
 
Burton released a deep sigh as he wiped his hand down his face,
carefully smoothing his mustache as he went. 
 
 
 
Sensing Burton’s concern, Dr. Bennett said, “Listen, Mr. Fallin.  I
perform this procedure on nearly a daily basis.  I assure you, we will
take the best possible care of your son.” 
 
 
 
“I know, I know.  Legally, I represent your hospital and I think the
entire staff here is phenomenal.  I don’t doubt your surgical abilities,
Dr. Bennett, I’m just a worried parent!”  Burton said with a nervous
chuckle.
 
 
 
“I understand, Mr. Fallin.  I assure you, your son is in good hands.  We
are prepping him for surgery and we will get started right away.”  Dr.
Bennett said as he firmly shook Burton’s hand.
 
 
 
“Oh..Dr. Bennett.  May I see him before he goes in for surgery?”  Burton
anxiously asked.
 
 
 
“Sure!  He is probably a bit groggy right now, as they have already
given him a sedative, but be my guest.”  Dr. Bennett said as he waved
his hand in the direction of the ER examining room.
 
 
 
Burton quietly entered the room where Nicholas was laying.  Nicholas
looked absurdly small in his hospital gown with the heavy hospital
blanket lying on top of him.  His right leg was uncovered and slightly
elevated in a much more professional looking splint.  Burton looked down
and placed his strong hand on Nicholas’s forehead.  He could tell that
Nicholas had been crying for quite some time, as he eyes were puffy and
red. 
 
 
 
“Nicholas, it’s me, Dad.”  Burton whispered quietly.  “Everything is
going to be okay.  Dr. Bennett is going to take good care of you…I’ll
make sure of that.”  Burton said while stroking Nicholas’s hair. 
 
 
 
Nicholas tried to nod his head to show his father that he understood.
“I’m sorry, Dad.  I’m really sorry.”  Nicholas meekly said, almost at a
whisper, as the sedative worked it’s magic.
 
 
 
“I know, Nicholas.  I know.”  Burton said still caressing his injured son. 
 
 
 
…….
 
 
 
The surgery lasted three hours and Burton paced the waiting room the
entire time, taking an occasional, and much needed cigarette break
outdoors.  Finally, the orthopedic surgeon entered the room and
approached Burton.
 
 
 
“Mr. Fallin?”  Dr. Bennett asked as he closed a chart that he was carrying.
 
 
 
“Yes.”  Burton said as his hand nervously ran down his face, in
anticipation of bad news.
 
 
 
“I just want you to know that the surgery went well.  It took longer
than expected due to the severe trauma to the joint.  We were successful
in setting the tibia and repairing the ligament, but you need to know
that we are looking at a long, hard recovery here.”  Dr. Bennett said
with a serious tone and expression.
 
 
 
“What do you mean by that?”  Burton asked with apprehension.  “He will
be able to walk won’t he?”
 
 
 
“Well, not right away, no. Assuming there are no complications, Nicholas
will need to keep that leg completely immobile for at least 6 weeks and
then he will need extensive physical therapy. It might be a few months
before he will be able to comfortably move around first with crutches,
then a cane.”
 
 
 
“Oh, my God.”  Burton said in astonishment.  “I knew this was bad.  So,
what happens now?”
 
 
 
“Right now, Nicholas is in the recovery room and he is pretty groggy. 
He will be in quite a lot of pain when the anesthetic dissipates and we
will want to monitor him for a few days before I issue a discharge.”
 
 
 
“I understand,” Burton said with a worried look on his face.  “When can
I see him?”
 
 
 
“Perhaps in a few hours.  I will notify the nursing staff in the
recovery room to come and get you when Nicholas is awake and stable.” 
Dr. Bennett said as he pulled out a form from Nicholas’s chart and began
scribbling an illegible note.
 
 
 
“Well, Mr. Fallin, I’m sorry this happened.  It surely put a kink in
your vacation plans.”  Dr. Bennett said with a sympathetic smile as he
firmly shook Burton’s hand.
 
 
 
“Thank you very much, Dr. Bennett.  I appreciate everything you have
done.”  Burton said as he gave Dr. Bennett a sincere nod.
 
 
 
…….
 
 
 
Burton sat in the waiting room, trying to read the magazine that he had
picked up in the hospital gift shop.  He would read one sentence and
then his thoughts would wander, thinking about Nicholas and how this
whole thing happened.  Burton desperately tried to figure out where
things went wrong.  It had been a very long time since Nicholas had
blatantly disobeyed him and he could not understand what would have
compelled him to do so now. 
 
 
 
As Burton continued to contemplate the tragedy, a young, attractive
nurse entered the waiting room and called out, “Mr. Fallin?”
 
 
 
“Yes.  I’m here.”  Burton said as he straightened his sport coat and
stood up from the uncomfortable chair.
 
 
 
“If you would like, you may come with me to see your son?” The nurse
stated with a pleasant expression.
 
 
 
“Yes, that would great.”  Burton said feeling anxious, yet relieved.
 
 
 
“Right this way, please,” the nurse said as she swung the door open for
Burton.
 
 
 
“Nicholas.  Nicholas,” the nurse quietly said as she gently held
Nicholas’s hand and rubbed his forearm.  “Wake up, honey.  Your father
is here.  Nicholas?”  The nurse said as she gently rested her hand on
Nicholas’s forehead.
 
 
 
Nicholas began to cough and his eyes opened just slightly.
 
 
 
“Nicholas.”  Burton said, while placing his big, strong hand on
Nicholas’s shoulder.  “Can you hear me?” 
 
 
 
Nicholas swallowed hard a few times and then he blinked his eyes
vigorously.  He started to squirm as he was waking up, but his movement
quickly came to a halt as he felt a sharp pain radiate through his
body.  He winced and his eyes immediately began to fill.
 
 
 
“Nicholas, I’m nurse Lisa and I’m going be taking care of you.  You need
to do me a favor and lie very still, okay?”
 
 
 
Nicholas nodded, but the pain was now becoming very intense. 
Recognizing that tears were starting to run down his cheek, Lisa quickly
asked, “Nicholas?  Do you want me to give you something to help get rid
of the pain?”
 
 
 
Nicholas hated shots and he normally would go to great lengths to avoid
them.  Whenever he was ill, he would opt for oral antibiotics over an
injection any day.  The pain was so intense that Nicholas honestly
didn’t care what she did to him, just as long as she could make the pain
go away.
 
 
 
Burton stood helpless by Nicholas’s bed as Lisa went to prepare a syringe. 
 
 
 
After giving Nicholas a shot, she turned to Burton and said, “He’ll
probably sleep for awhile longer now.  You are welcome to sit here if
you would like.  Sorry the chairs aren’t more comfortable though.”  Lisa
said with a smile.
 
 
 
“Thanks, Lisa.  If you don’t mind, I will stay here.”  Burton said as he
settled into a creaky vinyl chair. 
 
 
 
……
 
 
 
Nicholas slept soundly for another hour.  Nurse Lisa checked on him
periodically and frequently offered Burton a blanket and some coffee. 
Burton declined the thoughtful gestures, but he did utilize the phone to
contact Mrs. Portis.
 
 
 
“Hello, Fallin residence?”  Mary stated politely into the phone.
 
 
 
“Mary.  Hi, it’s Burton.  Thank goodness you are at the house.”  Burton
said while massaging his brow.
 
 
 
“Mr. Fallin?  Where are you?  Is everything okay?”  Mary asked with concern.
 
 
 
“I am at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital.  Nicholas had a skiing accident
and he just got out of surgery.” 
 
 
 
“Oh, my God!  Is he all right?”  Mary frantically asked.
 
 
 
“Yes, I think he will be okay.  He broke his right leg and tore some
ligament in his knee.  They are getting ready to move him out of the
recovery room, but he will need to stay here at the hospital for a few
days.”
 
 
 
“I’m coming right over!”  Mary said as she spun around the kitchen
looking for purse.  It was 7:00 in the morning and she had just arrived
at the house to begin some projects that were on her ‘to-do” list.
 
 
 
“Mary, listen to me for a minute.  I need you to contact Sheila the
minute the office opens at eight o’clock.  Tell her to contact Seven
Springs ski resort and have them ship all of our belongings to the house
ASAP.  Have her inform the resort that I will pay them generously for
their troubles.  I have some critical documents in the room that I need
for a business deal.  Do you understand?”  Burton asked with a
definitive tone.
 
 
 
“Yes.  I got it.  I’m writing your directions down right now.”  Mary
said as she scribbled notes on the pad of paper next to the kitchen
phone.  “How long have you been at the hospital?  Do you want me to come
and relieve you for a while?” 
 
 
 
“I have been here since two o’clock this morning.  Surgery took three
hours and then I have been sitting with him in the recovery room.  So,
basically, I haven’t gone to bed yet.  I almost wished I was the one
having surgery so I could catch some sleep.”  Burton said while
releasing a nervous laugh.
 
 
 
“Well then, why don’t I drive over to the hospital just as soon as I
make the call to the resort?”  Mary said sympathetically.
 
 
 
“Sure.  That would be great, Mary.  Thanks.”  Burton said feeling a bit
of relief as he hung-up the phone.
 
 
 
…..
 
 
 
Several days had passed and between Burton and Mary, Nicholas was never
left alone at the hospital.  Since the vacation had been cut short,
Burton decided to return to work early. The staff at Fallin & Associates
were shocked when they learned of the tragic accident and it wasn’t long
before a sizeable pile of teddy bears, flowers, candy and cards filled
Nicks room.  To cheer up his son, Burton gave Nick his Christmas gift
early, the new fangled Sony Walkman, to keep his mind off his injuries
for at least a few hours each day. 
 
 
 
Burton continued to work horrific hours at the office and then he would
relieve Mary at the hospital until Nicholas fell asleep. Burton
desperately wanted to confront Nicholas about his disobedient behavior. 
However, he knew how much pain and discomfort Nicholas was in and he
figured there was no point in adding to it, yet anyway.  
 
 
 
“Hi, Mary.”  Burton stated as he undid the buttons on his suit coat and
readjusted his briefcase.  “How did it go today?  Did Dr. Bennett
examine him this afternoon?”  Burton curiously asked.
 
 
 
Mary was standing outside of Nicholas’s room, pacing back and forth in
the hallway.  She stopped her nervous movement when she heard Burton
calling for her. 
 
 
 
“Well, everything went fine today until she showed up.”  Mary said while
pointing to a woman dressed in scrubs through the glass window that led
into Nicholas’s room.
 
 
 
“Who is she?”  Burton said with a puzzled look.
 
 
 
“Apparently she is Nicholas’s physical therapist.”  Mary said while
rubbing her brow.
 
 
 
“Oh.”  Burton said while trying to see what was going on through the
three inches of the window that were not covered with curtains.  “So,
what’s the problem?”
 
 
 
“Nicholas has been crying the entire time she has been in there.  I
couldn’t take it anymore so I had to come out here.”  Mary said feeling
rather distressed.  “I know that the movements she has him doing are
important, but I wish she could give him something for the pain first. 
When I asked her to, she flat-out refused.”
 
 
 
“He has a cast on his entire leg for God’s sake!”  Burton said with
alarm.  “How the hell does she expect him to move it?”
 
 
 
Not feeling terribly educated with the process Mary said, “Well, I think
she has him doing broad movements right now, ones that involve a lot of
hip action.”
 
 
 
Inside the room, Nicholas was sniffling and he had tears running down
his face.  “I promise I’ll be good….please, can we stop?”  Nicholas
pleaded through sobs.
 
 
 
“Nicholas, this is not a punishment.  You need to understand that,
okay?  Dr. Bennett will not release you from the hospital until you can
exhibit a certain range of movement.  Do you want to have to stay in the
hospital for another week?”  The physical therapist asked with a
serious, yet sympathetic tone.
 
 
 
“No, ma’am.”  Nicholas said with his head bowed while rubbing his eyes.
 
 
 
“Okay, then.  Now let’s try one more set and I will leave you to your
dinner.”  The therapist said realizing that Nicholas had no interest in
the hospital food since the lunch entrée was still sitting there
untouched from earlier in the day.
 
 
 
After another round of painful exercises, Burton and Mary sensed that
the session was over and knocked lightly to enter the room.  Nicholas’s
eyes were red and swollen and the physical therapist didn’t look too
pleased either.
 
 
 
“Nicholas, do you still want me to have your nurse come and give you
something for the pain on my way out?”  The therapist asked with concern.
 
 
 
“Yes, please.”  Nicholas said between sniffles. Nicholas felt
uncomfortable sniffling in front of his father and he hastily tried to
wipe the remaining tears from his face.  He knew how much it bothered
his father when he showed any sort of weakness and he was embarrassed
that his father walked in before he had time to compose himself. 
 
 
 
“Okay.  Now are you going to let me come and see you tomorrow?”  The
therapist said with a teasing smile.  “The good thing is, I know you
can’t run and hide from me!” 
 
 
 
Nicholas just nodded his head and looked down.
 
 
 
As the therapist left, Burton approached Nicholas’s bed.  “Hey, son. 
How are you feeling?” 
 
 
 
“I’m fine.”  Nicholas said, still looking down at the blanket that lay
over him.
 
 
 
“Hmmm…you don’t look fine.”  Burton said, trying to get Nicholas to talk.
 
 
 
Just then, a nurse came into the room.  She was not Nicholas’s usual
night nurse and she quickly approached his bed carrying a syringe with a
very long needle attached.
 
 
 
“Okay, honey, you need to roll over a bit for me.”  The nurse said
hastily while starting to peel Nicholas’s blanket back. 
 
 
 
Burton recognized that the nurse was going to give Nicholas a shot in
the backside and he decided that he should move out of the way. 
 
 
 
“Are you going to give me a shot?”  Nicholas asked with a worried
expression.
 
 
 
“Didn’t you tell Karen, the PT, that you wanted something for the
pain?”  The nurse asked still holding on to the syringe.
 
 
 
“Yes, but Nurse Beth just puts it into my I.V.”  Nicholas said pointing
at his I.V. line while swallowing nervously.
 
 
 
“Well, honey, number one, I’m not Nurse Beth, number two, this is
Nalbuphine,
 
an IM pain killer, not an IV pain killer.  Now, turn to the side a bit
so we can get this over with, okay?”  The nurse said abruptly as she
pushed Nicholas’s hospital gown up, swiped his tender skin with an
alcohol soaked cotton ball, and stuck him sharply with the needle in his
backside.
 
 
 
Nicholas gritted his teeth in pain. 
 
 
 
“All done!”  The nurse said as she pulled Nicholas’s gown back down and
released her hand that was holding Nicholas in position.
 
 
 
“I don’t want you to touch me again!”  Nicholas shouted as he flipped
her the finger.
 
 
 
“Nicholas!”  Burton scolded sharply, deeply shocked and embarrassed at
what Nick did.  “I will not tolerate your rudeness!” 
 
 
 
The nurse winked at Burton and said, “Don’t worry.  All the kids on this
floor get pretty cranky after a PT session.  I take all their angry
comments with a grain of salt.”
 
 
 
“I am sorry.”  Burton said, clearly feeling embarrassed about his son’s
obscene gesture.
 
 
 
As the nurse left, Burton approached Nicholas.  “Now listen hear, young
man.  I don’t care how much pain you are in, you are not, and I repeat,
not, going to be that disrespectful again!  Is that clear?”  Burton said
with a harsh and angry tone. 
 
 
 
Nicholas could tell that he had crossed the line by his father’s firm
reprimand.  “I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have done that.”  Nicholas said
submissively while rubbing his behind to help remove the sting from the
shot.
 
 
 
“Don’t let it happen again.”  Burton said shaking his finger at Nicholas
who still had his head bowed.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.” 
 
 
 
Striving to change the subject and to get Nicholas’s mind of his sore
behind, Mary chimed, “Hey, Nicholas.  Your dinner is getting cold
sitting on that tray.  How about I go and warm it up for you while you
and your father watch some TV?”
 
 
 
“Thank you, but I’m not hungry.”  Nicholas said while avoiding eye contact.
 
 
 
“Nicholas, you have to eat something.  You didn’t eat lunch and you
barely touched your oatmeal at breakfast.”  Mary said with her hands on
her hip.  “You know, they have special shots they give kids who don’t
eat dinner around here.”  Mary said trying to at least get a little
smile out of Nicholas.  It worked, and Nicholas actually looked up in
the process. 
 
 
 
“Okay, I’ll eat some of the chicken, but I don’t want any of the
potatoes or the green beans.”  Nicholas said trying to negotiate the
best deal possible.
 
 
 
“Fair enough!”  Mary cheerfully said as she headed down the hallway, in
search of an oven to warm his dinner in.
 
 
 
Meanwhile, Burton had turned on the TV and was flipping though the 6
channels that existed.  Normally Burton and Mary would limit Nicholas’s
television watching to 30 minutes a day when he was home from school. 
Due to the accident and the fact that he was theoretically still on
winter vacation, no one was enforcing the rules.
 
 
 
“How about we watch /Wheel of Fortune/?”  Burton said with little
enthusiasm, but hoping that Nicholas would agree so he could stop
flipping through the channels.
 
 
 
“Sure.  That’s fine with me.”  Nicholas said starting to feel a bit
sleepy from the shot he had received minutes earlier.
 
 
 
 
 
…..
 
 
 
“Nicholas.  Nicholas.  Wake-up sweetie.  You have a visitor.”  Mary said
while gently shaking Nicholas’s shoulder.
 
 
 
Nicholas rubbed his eyes and he slowly lifted his head up from the pillow.
 
 
 
“Hey, Nick.  Do you remember me?”  Brian said as he approached
Nicholas’s bed.
 
 
 
“Brian?”  Nicholas asked with surprise.  “How did you know I was here?” 
 
 
 
“The staff at the resort told me.  So, how are you feeling?” Brian asked
as he sat down in a large chair next to Nicholas’s bed.
 
 
 
“Well, I’ll be a lot better once I can get out of here!”  Nicholas said
with a smile.  He was so excited that one of the college guys would
actually stop over to see him that for a moment, he didn’t feel any pain
in his leg.
 
 
 
Not wanting to be rude, Brian leaned close to Nicholas and asked
quietly, “Is that your Mom?”
 
 
 
Nicholas started to say ‘no’ and then Mary, who clearly overheard the
question, interrupted him.
 
 
 
“Hi, Brian. I’m Mrs. Portis, Nicholas’s nanny.  It’s a pleasure to meet
you.”  Mary said as she shook Brian’s hand.
 
 
 
Nicholas wanted desperately to crawl under the covers in embarrassment. 
No one his age has a nanny!  So much for trying to look cool, not that
laying in bed with a huge cast on in a hospital gown helps much either!
 
 
 
Thankfully, Brian moved on without giving the information much thought. 
“So, you did quite a number of your leg, huh?”
 
 
 
“Yeah.  I broke my tibia and tore some ligaments.”  Nicholas said while
trying to ignore his throbbing leg hidden beneath the bulky cast.
 
 
 
“Well, my classes start up in a few days at Pitt and I wanted to see how
you were doing since I was in the area.”  Brian said sympathetically.
 
 
 
It was 6:00 pm and Burton would be arriving soon, Mary would leave, the
physical therapist would most likely pop in one more time to torture
him, and his gross dinner would arrive any minute now.  Nicholas had
gotten very used to the hospital routines and he wanted desperately to
go home.
 
 
 
“I never thought I would say this, but you are lucky that you are
heading back to school!”  Nicholas said with a smile.
 
 
 
“Yeah.  I know what you mean.”  Brian said returning the smile.
 
 
 
“Knock. Knock.”  Burton said as he entered the room.  “How ya doing,
Nicholas?”  Burton said while placing some books and magazines down on
the tray next to Nicholas’s bed.  “I brought you some stuff to read.”
 
 
 
“Thanks.”  Nicholas said without much enthusiasm.
 
 
 
“Well, Mr. Fallin, since you are here, I am going to scoot.  I have to
pick-up my friend in ten minutes, but I will be here bright and early
tomorrow!”  Mary said in her usual cheery tone.  Typically, Mary would
stay a few additional hours with Nicholas even after Burton arrived. 
She did this largely as a precautionary step, just in case Burton lost
his cool.    Burton had informed her about the events that led to the
skiing accident and she knew that it was only a matter of time before
Burton would confront Nicholas about his disobedient behavior. 
 
 
 
“Great. Thanks, Mary.”  Burton said as he gently patted her back and
helped her gather her things.
 
 
 
“Bye, Nicholas.  Be good and eat your dinner!”  Mary said teasingly as
she pointed at the covered plate an orderly was bringing into the room
at that very moment.
 
 
 
Nicholas scrunched his nose up at that comment, as he smelled the
unappealing dinner.  “Okay, I’ll try.”  Nicholas said half-heartedly. 
“Thanks Mrs. Portis, I will see you later.”
 
 
 
“Bye, Brian!”  Mary said as she waved to the ‘boys’ sitting in the room.
 
 
 
“Oh, Dad, this is Brian.  I’m sorry I didn’t introduce you earlier.” 
Nicholas said realizing his manners had escaped him.  “Brian, this is my
Dad.”
 
 
 
Both of them stood up and shook hands.  “So, Brian,” Burton said
curiously as he returned to his chair, “Were you there the night this
accident happened?”  Burton said while pointing to Nicholas’s cast with
one hand and rubbing his brow with the other.  Burton recognized Brian
right away, as he was one of the college kids hanging around the ski
patrol outbuilding while they were radioing for medical assistance.
 
 
 
“Yes.  I was.”  Brian said in a surprised, but definitive manner.  “I
was the one who skied down to the bottom to get help.” 
 
 
 
“How old are you, son?” Burton said, now drilling Brian with questions.
 
 
 
“I’m 21.”  Brian said with a proud smile.
 
 
 
“Do you know that I could charge you with serving alcohol to a minor,
Mr….”  Burton paused hoping that Brian would complete the sentence.
 
 
 
“Evans.  Brian Evans.”  Brian said uneasily.  “You need to know, that I
do not drink and I had nothing to do with the alcohol your son consumed
that night.”
 
 
 
“Really?  Why should I believe you?”  Burton said with a deep,
penetrating stare.
 
 
 
“Because, it’s the truth.  I met your son for the first time as we were
going up the hill on the chairlift.  What Nick did before we went skiing
is none of my business!”  Brian said defensively. 
 
 
 
Nicholas sat there in bed, wishing he could disappear.  He had no idea
that his father was aware of the fact that he had been drinking the
night of the accident!  He couldn’t believe that all of this was
unfolding right before him.
 
 
 
“Look, if it wasn’t for me, your son would still be up on that slope! 
Your son’s girlfriend was certainly in no position to be of any help and
as a matter of fact, she didn’t even have the guts to stick around and
wait with him until the medical crew arrived!”  Brian said angrily as he
stood up from his chair and began to move towards the door.
 
 
 
“Brian!”  Burton said as he grabbed the boy’s arm in an attempt to
prevent him from leaving.  “Listen…I’m sorry.  I didn’t know.  For what
it is worth, I’m glad you were there for my son.”  Burton said with
sincerity as he shook Brian’s hand.
 
 
 
“Well, I’m glad he is going to be okay.” Brian said looking down.  “I
should probably get going.  Nick, here is my number; you can call me any
time.  Take care, man.”  Brian said as he lightly patted Nicholas’s
shoulder.
 
 
 
“Thanks, Brian.  I’ll see you later.”  Nicholas said with nervous smile.
 
 
 
As Brian left the room, Nicholas began to fidget.  He knew the fireworks
were going to start flying.
 
 
 
Burton sat back down in his chair, ran his hand through his hair, down
his face, and rested it on his chin.  “Nicholas,” Burton said gravely,
“we need to talk.”
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said already assuming a hunched submissive position.
 
 
 
“I didn’t want to bring this up until you were further along in the
recovery process, but I need to tell you that this whole thing has been
eating me up inside.”  Burton said with a sorrowful look.  “I mean,
seriously, Nicholas, what were you thinking?  You left the room without
my permission, apparently went and got drunk somewhere, and then decided
you were going to take a run down a dangerous ski trail that you were
nowhere near qualified to be on!  I just don’t get it, Nicholas!!” 
Burton said in a bellowing manner.
 
 
 
Nicholas rounded his shoulders even more and didn’t say a word.
 
 
 
“And..what is this about a ‘girlfriend’?  When and how did that happen? 
Burton yelled, not really wanting an answer.  “The part that bothers me
the most Nicholas is that you were drinking.  That doesn’t mean that the
sneaking out and acts of deceit aren’t issues with me too, but the
drinking, Nicholas….that one is a hard one for me to accept.”  Burton
said while staring sternly at Nicholas.
 
 
 
“Have you been drinking at school?”  Burton said curtly.
 
 
 
“No, sir.”  Nicholas said quietly in a submissive manner.
 
 
 
“So, am I to assume this was the first time you have had a drink then?”
Burton said as if Nicholas was on trial in a courtroom.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said meekly.
 
 
 
“Why didn’t you ask me if you could go out with those college kids?  Why
did you sneak out like that?  I just don’t get it, Nicholas?”  Burton
said while smoothing his mustache.
 
 
 
“I knew you would tell me that I couldn’t go.”  Nicholas said while
fidgeting with a piece of thread that was frayed on his blanket.
 
 
 
“You’re damn right I would have told you that you couldn’t go!”  Burton
yelled.
 
 
 
Based on Burton’s apparent rage, Nicholas knew from past experience that
nothing he said would make a difference so, he sat in silence.
 
 
 
“Nicholas, do you know that you could be expelled from Wellington if you
ever drank at school?  You would ruin your academic record!”  Burton
said, having a difficult time keeping his anger under control.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said while quickly glancing up at his father and
then returning his stare to the blanket on the bed.
 
 
 
“If I ever, ever, hear that you have been drinking again, Nicholas,
there will be severe consequences.  I’m not playing around here.” 
Burton said while shaking his finger at Nicholas.
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said submissively.  He thought for a brief moment
about all the possible punishments Burton could administer and he knew
that none of them would be pleasant.
 
 
 
Just then, there was a faint knock at the door and Dr. Bennett entered
the room.  Burton stood up and straightened his suit and tie to receive
the surgeon.
 
 
 
“Hi, Dr. Bennett.  How are you tonight?”  Burton said shaking the
pediatric orthopedics’ hand.
 
 
 
“Fine. Thank you.  How are we doing here?”  Dr. Bennett said as he
approached Nicholas’s bed.
 
 
 
Grateful for the interruption in the parental lecture, Nicholas smiled
and said, “Good.  My leg is not throbbing as much any more.”
 
 
 
“I’m glad to hear that!”  Dr. Bennett said as he retrieved Nicholas’s
chart from the end of the bed.  “Hmm..it looks like things are
progressing nicely.”
 
 
 
“Dr. Bennett, do you have any idea when Nicholas might be able to come
home?”  Burton asked while trying to glance at the chart over the
doctor’s shoulder.
 
 
 
Dr. Bennett closed the chart and said, “Well, I want to schedule and MRI
for tomorrow and keep him here for a few more sessions of physical
therapy before I write a discharge.  So, my guess is we’re looking at
Friday.”
 
 
 
“Okay, that sounds good.”  Burton said with a smile.  Christmas was on
Saturday and he was elated that Nicholas wouldn’t be stuck in the
hospital on such a special day.
 
 
 
“Now, you both understand that going home does not mean that things can
go back to normal.  Right?”  Dr. Bennett said with a concerned look. 
“Nicholas will need to be bed-ridden for four weeks, you will to make
arrangements through the hospital to have a PT come to your home daily
to work with him, and he will not be permitted to bear any weight on the
leg for several weeks, even after the bed-rest period is over.  In
addition, we will need to make arrangements for a full-time nurse to
assist you at home with bathroom trips, bathing, etc.”
 
 
 
“Wow.  I guess I didn’t realize that all of that was going to be
necessary.”  Burton said with surprise.  “So, there is no way Nicholas
can go back to school in two weeks?”
 
 
 
“Oh my gosh, no!”  Dr. Bennett said laughing.  “No, Nicholas is not
going anywhere for at least 2 months!”
 
 
 
“So, what do I do about his schooling?  He attends Wellington and there
is no way that he can behind with his studies!”  Burton said beginning
to panic at the thought of Nicholas regressing academically.
 
 
 
“Wellington, huh?  Great school!  My wife and I were considering sending
our 12 year old son there, but we decided he was much too young to
attend a boarding school.”  Dr. Bennett said as he jotted a few notes
onto a pad of paper he was carrying.
 
 
 
“Oh, well Nicholas started going there when he was 12 and he had no
problems with it!”  Burton said while enjoying a slight moment to boast.
 
 
 
Meanwhile Nicholas sat there wondering where his father got such a crazy
notion.  He didn’t do fine when he was sent there.  He hated it then and
he hates it now!
 
 
 
“I guess what I would do is contact the school and see if they have an
independent study program that Nicholas could participate in while he is
out on medical leave.  I will be more than happy to provide the school
with documentation so that they will make academic accommodations.”  Dr.
Bennett said with a smile.  “Although, I am sure that Nicholas wouldn’t
mind just taking a few months off, huh?”  Dr. Bennett said while
grabbing a hold of Nicholas’s left foot and giving it a gentle shake.
 
 
 
Nicholas returned the smile.
 
 
 
“I’ll get right on that.”  Burton said while making a mental note to
place a phone call to the school first thing in the morning.
 
 
 
“The other thing, Mr. Fallin, is that you might need to reconfigure
Nicholas’s room location at your house.  I don’t know the floor plan of
your home, but it would be much easier on everyone if Nicholas were on
the main floor.  Do you have a two-story home?  Dr. Bennett asked with
curiosity.
 
 
 
“Yes, yes we do.  But, one of the guest bedrooms is on the main level
and it is equipped with it’s own bathroom.  We can set Nicholas up in
there until he is mobile.”  Burton said while attempting to envision all
the necessary household changes.
 
 
 
“Great!  That sounds like a super plan.”  Dr. Bennett said with a
pleased expression.  “Now, as for you, young man…you need to keep
working on those exercises your therapist instructed you to do.  Okay?”
 
 
 
“Yes, sir.”  Nicholas said while nodding his head.
 
 
 
“Good, well you gentlemen have a good night and I will be in first thing
tomorrow to check on you.”  Dr. Bennett said as he approached the door.
 
 
 
“Thanks, Dr. Bennett.”  Burton said as he rubbed his eyes.  “Well, where
were we….”  Burton said, trying to recall where he had left off in his
scolding session.
 
 
 
Nicholas quickly rolled his eyes when his father wasn’t looking and
braced himself for a good, long lecture.
 
 
 
 
TO BE CONTINUED