A Boy Named Chris

First off I want to say yes there will eventually be sex in this story. But there won't be any in this chapter. And this story is completely fictional.

Our story starts when Christopher Richardson was only twelve. As a lot of what happens here play a lot into what happens later. His older sister Valerie who is grown up and married with a young son of her own. His parents Lilian Meyers and David Richardson were divorced when Chris was just four. They got into a bitter custody battle for Chris and Valerie. David would of won if, since Lilian just wanted the kids to get child support. However Lilian was sleeping with the judge and the judge awarded custody to Lilian.

Lilian married Frank Meyers, a man that would beat poor Chris. If Chris looked at Frank the wrong way then Frank would get his belt. Lilian did nothing to stop her husband from beating her son. Valerie would tell her father what is going on. David who was now remarried to a woman named Sandy and they had a young son they named Davey, was doing all he could to get Chris out of that situation. David lawyer Andrew Harris told David unless he had some proff then there is nothing that can be done to get a new custody hearing. When Chris would visit David on the weekends Chris would cry when it was time to go home. He didn't want to leave.

One evening Chris came home. It was the first day of summer vacation. Chris' spirits were high since his father was talking to his mother about letting Chris spend the summer with him. It was nearing ten in the evening. Chris walked into the living room and found a note from his mother saying that there are leftovers from dinner in the fridge and he could heat them up in the microwave. Chris walked into the kitchen and got the leftovers and started to get a place to nuke them. He turned around, his stepfather was standing there belt at the ready. Chris didn't remember much of what happened next.

Valerie was sitting in the living room of her apartment. Her two year old son Ben had finally fallen asleep. Her husband Matt was sitting in a chair watching television. She was reading a book. She was a nurse at a local nursing home. There was a knock on the door. She went and answered it. There was her brother all bloody and bruised. 'CHRIS!' she screamed. 'MATT CALL AN AMBULENCE!' She got her cell phone and dialed her father's number. Chris fell to the floor. She held him while she waited for her father to answer the phone. When he did answer she went into hysterics. She told him about Chris showing up all bloody and bruisd and there was an ambulance on the way. Valerie could hear the sirens in the distance.

'Alright Val.' her father said. 'When the ambulance gets there ask them what hospital they are taking him to. I will meet you there.' Valerie kept her father on the phone until the medics got there.

'What hospital are you taking my brother to?' she asked them.

'St. Anne's' the medic said. She told her father and she told Matt to stay there with the baby as she was going to the hospital with Chris. She got in the back of the ambulance with Chris and held his hand while they were on the way to the hospital.

David Richardson was working fast on getting dressed. He told his wife what had happened with Chris. She told him that she hoped Chris was alright. David got into his car and started for the hospital. David got his cell phone and called his lawyer. 'Sorry if I woke you Andrew.' David said.

'It's alright Dave.' Andrew Harris said. 'What's happened?'

'Chris has been taken to the hospital. My daughter said that he was beaten pretty badly.'

David asked, 'Is there anything that can be done?'

'I can try and get you some sort of temporary custody arrangement, while an investigation is conducted.'

'What about the judge? Will it be the same one that decided that Lilian should have the kids?' David asked.

'If this were two years ago then yes,' Andrew Harris said. 'Old Bob Harlin got caught with his pants down and was removed from the bench. The mayor replaced him with Betty Brown. Before she was a judge she was a lawyer with the county Social Services, she specialized in cases of child abuse. I am sure that she will see then need to removed Chris from his mother's care. We must act quickly though, as Lilian is the custodial parent she will be the one that they inform of Chris' condition.'

'Alright' David said.

'I will be in touch.' Andrew said.

David made it to the hospital. He found his daughter at the Emergency room entrance. 'The doctors are with Chris now.' Valerie said, 'That bastard! I'll kill him.'

'There may be no need Val.' David said, 'I spoke with my attorney and he is going to try and get me temporary custody of Chris. If he does then I will press charges against Frank for abuse and your mother for neglect.' David and Valerie went inside the hospital. A doctor came up to David.

'I'm Dr. Berry.' she said. 'I am looking for whoever is here for Christopher Richardson.'

'I came in with him.' Valerie said. 'I'm his sister. This is my father.'

'How is my son?' David asked.

'We were able to stop the bleeding.' Dr. Berry said. 'However he has suffered a major concussion. There is internal bleeding that has happened. He has suffered two broken legs. He most likely crawled to your daughter's home. We have to operate to stop it the internal bleeding. The next few hours are critical. If we can't stop the bleeding, he can die.'

'Please do whatever you can to save him.' David said.

'We will Mr. Richardson.' the doctor said. She left.

Valerie was in tears. David held her to him. His cell phone rang. He answered it. It was Andrew Harris. 'Dave.' Andrew said. 'I spoke with Judge Brown; she has granted you temporary custody of Chris, now I need to ask if you are sure that it was his stepfather that did this.'

'I am positive that he did.' David said.

'Alright I am going to do what I can to have a search warrant put out on your ex-wife's home. The judge has granted a hearing that will determine permanent custody of Chris next week, considering if he lives through this.' Harris said. 'I just need to call the criminal court judge.'

David hung up the phone. 'I have temporary custody of Chris now.' David said to Valerie. 'Why don't you go home? I will call you if anything happens.'

'Alright Daddy,' Valerie said.

David waited for three hours. His cell phone rang again. It was Sandy. She wanted to know what was going on. David told her everything. Then he asked, 'Do you mind if Chris comes to live with us if he makes it?'

'Of course he can live with us.' Sandy said. 'You know you don't have to ask me something like that.'

David thanked Sandy and they ended their call. Andrew Harris stopped by the hospital. 'Dave I had to tell you in person. I got the search warrant. The police went to your ex-wife's home and they found blood all over the kitchen. They are taking it to a lab to see if it matches Chris' blood. An arrest warrant has been put out on Frank Meyers.'

'Good.' David said. 'I want that scumbag locked up. He will never lay a single finger on my son again.'

'Here,' Andrew said reaching into his coat pocket. 'These are the temporary custody papers. Judge Brown faxed them to me.' Andrew handed the papers to David. David looked and he saw Lilian and Frank Meyers walking into the ER.

'David what are you doing here?' Lilian asked.

'I am a bit concerned about my son.' David said. 'More than what you are.'

'You have no power over him.' Lilian said.

'You're wrong there.' David said. He held the custody papers. 'I have been given temporary custody of Chris, since it looks like your husband is the one that put him here.'

David noticed Andrew talking on his cell phone. 'You have no proof of that.' Frank said.

'We'll see about that.' David said as two cops were coming into the door. The cops came inside and approached Frank and Lilian.

'Frank Meyers?' said one of the cops. 'We have a warrant for your arrest.'

'What are you arresting my husband for?' Lilian asked the cops.

'For child abuse and attempted murder.' the cop said. 'His only hope would be if your son lives.'

They read Frank his rights. Then David said, 'I want her arrested to for neglect. I am now the custodial parent of Chris Richardson. I wish to press charges against her too.'

The cops arrested Lilian too. David waited after the cops took Frank and Lilian away.

Dr. Berry came out wearing a surgical uniform, 'Mr. Richardson,' she said.

'Yes.' David said.

'Your son is in recovery now.' she said.

'He's going to be fine?' David said.

'We stopped the internal bleed. He is in stable condition now.' Dr. Berry said.

'Can I see him?' David asked.

'Yes, though it will be a little while before he wakes up.' Dr. Berry said.

David followed Dr. Berry and they walked into a room where Chris was laying on a bed. His face was all bruised him. There were casts on both his legs. Tears came to David's face. He took Chris' hand and soothed it. 'I will be here when you wake up.' David said. 'I won't let anything like this happen to you again.'

At the police lab the blood found at the Meyer's home was found to match the blood of Christopher Richardson. The paper work was sent to the district attorney's office. Frank Meyer's sat in a jail cell he vowed to kill his wife's ex-husband and give his stepson something he would never forget. Lilian made bail. She now walked into her empty house. Her lawyer told her that the most she would get is a fine, and probation. She sat looking at her wedding picture. She had to find a way to get her husband out of jail.

Chris Richardson opened his eyes. He saw his father sitting beside him. He hurt. But he managed to say, 'Dad.'

His father looked right at him. 'It's alright son. The doctors say you are going to be fine.' Chris could see that his father had been crying.

They sat there for a while. Chris watched at his sister came to visit. She was happy that her brother was ok. The doctors said that Chris would have to stay in the hospital for about a week. David said that he made a call and said he was taking the day off work. Chris was also visited by his stepmother and little brother. Chris was starting to feel better.

The next week went by without any problems. The doctors said that Chris could leave the hospital the next day. That day however David was going to the courthouse for the custody hearing. He sat there and looked at his ex-wife with disgust. The rose when the judge entered the courtroom.

'Now I have reviewed this case. If there is anything counsel would like to say before I make a final decision, please do so now.' Judge Brown said.

David sat silently as Lilian's lawyer made his statement. David had to use a lot of self control while Lilian's lawyer made his song and dance. When Lilian's lawyer finished Andrew made his statement.

When both statements were done Judge Brown made her decision. 'Now Mrs. Meyers your son nearly died while in your care; he was nearly killed at the hands of your husband. This disturbs me a lot about your style of parenting. I have also reviewed the decision of Judge Harlin and I do believe that during that hearing you stated that you wished to have your children only for the child support. Why Judge Harlin decided in your favor I don't know, but I have a good idea why. So it is the decision of this court that permanent custody of Christopher Richardson be granted to Mr. Richardson. This court is adjourned.'

Back at the hospital Sandy got a call from her husband that he was now Chris' permanent custodial parent. She told David that Chris' room at their house was all ready for him. She was now sitting with Chris and Davey. Chris and Davey were as close as two brothers could be.

'Chris you will be going home tomorrow.' Sandy told him.

'No.' Chris said. 'I don't want to go back there.' He started crying.

'You don't understand though,' Sandy said. 'You won't be going back there. You will be coming home with your father and me. Your father has custody of you now.' Chris looked up and smiled.

The next day Chris was released from the hospital. Since both his legs were broken he had to use a wheelchair. He had a room on the second floor of the house, but they made a room for him in his father's study. Chris would spend his days playing board games with Davey. Two weeks later the doctors removed the cast from Chris' left leg. He started to move around the house on a set of crutches. His right leg still needed to heal.

In July he had his thirteenth birthday. His father and stepmother had thrown him a huge party. Many kids from his school came to the party. They sat in the back yard laughing and joking. Many of the kids never seen Chris so happy he had always seemed miserable to them. They now however knew why now. The story about how he nearly died at the hands of his stepfather had made the news. They were talking about him getting involved in school activities when school started that fall. Chris asked his stepmother about it. She said that it might be good for him to get involved in school activities.

The rest of the summer went by. By then Chris had the cast on his right leg removed. It was nice to be able to walk properly again. As the next year went and many of the other boys started to notice girls, Chris however was noticing the guys. Chris realized something about himself. He was gay.

To be continued...