Chapter 5:

Odd Behavior

    Hop Sing woke up and found himself in the hospital again. He looked around, and saw a boy in the bed next to him. He was a slight build with blond hair, and there was something about him that made Hop Sing stare at him. He had a perfect face, even though there was a tube taped to his left cheek, that went up his nose. Hop Sing fidgeted in bed, which set off a small chime. Dr. Knox appeared from what must have been his office.

    "Well, Hop, you slept through dinner. Hungry?" Knox asked.

    "Yes, sir," he answered, looking inquiringly at the boy next to him.

    "Oh, yes, he should be waking up in a bit," Knox assured him. "That's Sander, your other roomie. He's got...problems. Anyway, here's the story - you had a panic attack this morning, I sedated you, you scared Ben silly, and here you are. After you eat, I'll give you a sleeping pill and take you back to your room. Then we can start all over tomorrow. It'll be nicer for you, because Ben's got you a trainer set up."

    "No!" Hop Sing whimpered, but Knox waved that off too.

    "He's not going to have sex with you the first day," the doctor assured him, as Sander began to stir. "Well, look who's back among the living! I'll go get some more food."

    "Not hungry," Sander complained, and Hop Sing noticed that he was restrained.

    "Fine," Knox told him, hanging another bag and connecting it to Sander's nose tube. "You can just have another 3k calories up the nose, then. You are NOT going to starve yourself to death."

    "I guess I could jump off a cliff," Sander grumbled, turning his head to look at Hop Sing. "Hi," was all he said.

    "Hello, Sander, nice to meet you," Hop Sing smiled at him. By nature, Hop Sing was one of those boys who was automatically polite and sympathetic. He was sensitive, having been raised that way, and seeing Sander in the condition he was in bothered Hop Sing. What also bothered him was the fact that looking at Sander made him get an erection, which he didn't understand at all. That, and if he was going to be his roomie, he wanted to get to know Sander and not have him mad at him.

    "Don't bother," Knox told Hop Sing, as the boy ate his dinner. "Sander hates everybody."

    "No I don't," Sander protested, "Everybody hates me."

    "NO ONE hates you, Sander," Knox argued, "You just don't realize how much everyone loves you."

    "They love my ASS," Sander countered, "That's all they want."

    "And what would I do with your ass?" Knox asked him, "Other than spank it, or put meds up it? You know better."

    "Nobody loves me," Sander whined dismally. "I wish I was dead. I wish I could run away."

    "How do you run away if you're dead?" Hop Sing asked, which cracked Knox up. Sander snorted.

    "Hop," Knox then said, "I'm going to give you a sleeping pill now, but it's not the kind you're used to. It's a suppository, it goes up your butt. I know you don't like it," Knox assured him when Hop Sing gasped and shook his head, "But it works better. All your meds are rectal ones, here. Now, roll over. It won't hurt."

    "Yeah, no pills," Sander complained, "Just shots and butt-bullets. You even get a headache, you get a butt-bullet."

    Sure enough, it didn't hurt. It just felt funny and slimy.

    "Don't relax, hold it in. I'll get a wheelchair and roll you back to your room. No enema in the morning, and you go straight to bed tonight. It's almost nine. I'd discharge Sander, too, but he'd probably jump off your balcony."

    "Put a airbag down there then?" Hop Sing suggested, "Like in movies?" He then stood up and stretched, suddenly embarrassed that he was wearing a diaper. Knox removed it. Sander glanced over and snorted again.

    "Intact," Sander grumbled. "Trainee.  Poor kid. Jump off a cliff with me. You're better off. Least he got a diaper and not a tube."

    "Why don't you find something else to bitch about?" Knox asked him.

    "Sander, you can't kill yourself," Hop Sing told him tenderly, patting his hand. He didn't know why he was drawn to this pathetic boy, but he was. He wanted to comfort him, touch him, tell him everything was OK. Unfortunately, Sander noticed the boy's erection.

    "See? The new kid ain't even hit puberty, and he gets hard looking at me! What did I tell you?" Sander pointed out. Hop Sing looked ashamed of himself.

    "It's not like that," he offered. Sander looked away.

    "I'll have you know, smartass, that Hop Sing's on the same chemical treatment to increase sexual appetite, just like ALL of you boys here! He can't help it. He'll be walking around with a hard-on all day, probably, from now on." Knox told him.

    Hop Sing didn't like the sound of that. He knew he'd be humiliated, and everyone would be staring at him. After all, almost none of the island boys had a penis, much less a hard one sticking out all the time! It confused him when he realized that he'd probably be happier and fit in better if they WOULD cut if off.

    Knox looked back at Sander. "He's not gonna let you off the hook, buddy," the doctor said, "I think you've got a new friend."

    "That's just what I need," Sander grumbled.

    "Everybody needs friends," Hop Sing told him sadly, "I miss all my friends already, and I won't see them again for two years. And if you jump off the cliff, what would Ben say? What would Chris say? What about your father? Everybody would cry?" Sander found his innocent sincerity so nauseating that he almost threw up. It just struck him the wrong way.

    "My father doesn't care," Sander retorted. "All he did was come back here and fuck me after Ben had me neutered. That's all he wanted. That's all Ben wanted. That's all anyone wanted! And when you get a trainer tomorrow, that's ALL he'll want! To fuck you! He won't love you, so don't even make that same mistake that I did! No one loves you, kid, remember that! All they want is your ass!"

    "That's a lie," Hop Sing snapped back at him, suddenly very angry for some reason. "Just 'cause your father was a bad man, doesn't mean mine is!"

    "HE sold YOU," Sander retorted hotly, "Didn't he? Why else are you here in this hellhole?"

    "Because my pay will save my family! My brothers won't be sold to the bad men for slaves, if I'm here!" Hop Sing snapped. "That's why I came! And my father's coming back for me! My mommy loves me, and they'll come visit me! In two years, they'll come get me!  You watch!" Hop Sing cut loose on him, "Just 'cause you got dumped don't mean I will!" Hop Sing was so wound up that he was poking Sander's arm with his finger to make his point. Sander just gaped at him.

    "You're so naive," Sander told him. "It's almost refreshing."

    "Sander," Knox interrupted them, "I don't want to do this to you, but this is the deal. Ben's waited as long as he can. You're a bad example to the other boys if you don't work. You don't wanna work, so I'm gonna have to make you want to. I don't wanna see you sold to a brothel, Sander. If you think it's bad here, you wait until you see one of those places! I know you don't believe me, but I DO care about you. I care about every boy here, and you're more than just patients.

     "Ben's a mess over you, boy, and so am I, but you're too self-absorbed to realize it. Everyone gets a broken heart now and then, Sander, trust me. You get over it and move on. So," Knox went on, picking up a needle. Hop Sing flinched. Sander didn't. "I've been ordered to double your dosage of aphrodisiacs. Also, the slight hormone cocktail is being upped. So is the antidepressant dose. Mostly estrogenic compounds in here, but with this shot, and another suppository that's going to make your rectum itch up inside, you're going back to work. Oh," Knox held up a finger, "Your catheter is coming out, too, but you've already been treated with a little concoction of mine to cause swelling and inflammation of the prostate. I hate to use it, but we have no choice. So, if you have trouble peeing, come get me." He then injected Sander. "By tomorrow evening, you'll be sitting atop the flagpole if you don't get a client! Ben's orders."

    Hop Sing yawned as Knox gave Sander his shots.

    It was all too much, and Sander started to cry. Yawning again, Hop Sing wobbled. Knox caught him. But it wasn't Sander that Hop Sing saw in the bed, as the sedative went to work on him. It was Guo Jian, his brother. He was upset and crying because his best friend had moved away. Hop Sing shook his head to clear it. Guo Jian wasn't there, he couldn't come! Sander's crying because no one loved him, he thinks. But then it wasn't Sander that he saw; it was his eldest brother, and Hop Sing was scared of storms. "Can I sleep in your bed?" He was asking his brother. "If it makes you feel better," his brother was telling him. Hop Sing sat down on the edge of Sander's bed and laid a hand on his cheek, wiping his tears. He couldn't stand to see someone else suffering. He wanted to make him feel better.

    "It's OK, brother," he assured him, "You can sleep in my bed tonight."

    "What?" Sander asked, confused.

    "He's hallucinating," Knox whispered in Sander's ear, "He thinks you're his little brother."

    "This always makes me feel better," Hop Sing yawned again, a real head-splitter. He pulled back Sander's blanket and lay down beside him. Knox undid Sander's right arm, and Hop Sing cuddled up with him. Knox covered them as Hop Sing hugged Sander and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry, I won't let 'em...let 'em get you...it'll be...be...better in the morn...morning," He yawned again, snuggled up next to Sander, and then went to sleep. Sander wasn't sure what to do.

    "I guess he's staying the night," Knox conceded. "Sander, you want me to move him?"

    "No," Sander admitted, putting his hand on Hop Sing's chest and snuggling up to him as well. "He's right, it's kinda nice."

    "In a nonsexual way?" Knox prodded him.

    "Yeah," Sander admitted, not noticing that Knox had injected his IV to put him back to sleep too.

    The next morning, Knox tossed both of them out of the hospital with orders to Sander's collar to keep a close eye on him. The computer answered him, but the voice came out of Hop Sing's gold collar. "GPS tracking, island details loaded. No access for Sander to dangerous areas," it said. "Recommend immediate recharge of Sander's collar," it added.

    "Go get a battery recharge and then go eat," Knox warned Sander, "And NO, the tube stays in as a warning. Besides, you'll probably attract a client with a medical fetish that way." He then turned to Hop Sing. "Ben said to send you to his office after breakfast. Take Sander with you." When they'd left, Knox couldn't help but think that Sander was getting the best therapy he possibly could in the form of Hop Sing.

    They did as they were told, and reported to Ben, who recharged Sander's collar to 100%. Then, on second thought, he replaced it with a brand new green one and logged it. Once again, the computer seemed to 'burp', but took it. Ben made a note to have maintenance look into it.

    "Good news and bad news," Ben told the boys. "First, no trainer for Hop today. He's preoccupied. Second, Sander, you're going back to work. You're also taking Hop with you, as Knox tells me you two sort of bonded. Hop, your job for today is to keep Sander out of trouble. Can you do that?"

    Hop Sing nodded happily. At least no one was going to try and have sex with HIM - yet.

    "Another day in paradise," Sander complained, as they headed out to face the day. "Eat, fuck, eat, fuck, play, fuck, eat, fuck, bed. I can hardly wait," he grumbled, scratching at his ass. "Don't get your hopes up, kid, you noticed nobody gave us the time of day at breakfast?"

    "They dunno what to say to you," Hop Sing told him, "They're scared for you. But I think you're OK."

    Sander didn't know what to say. "Thanks for last night," he muttered.

    They were just settling into chairs in the sun by the pool when a man with an accent in a flowery shirt came up to them. "Pardon me, where can I find Timmy?" He asked. Sander rolled his eyes. Hop Sing recognized him.

    "Mr. Smith! Are you OK?" He asked sincerely.

    "Just nerves, that wonderful doctor fixed it all up. Poor Timmy, I had to leave him at half the day, he thought I had a heart attack!" Smith said.

    "Timmy is in the restroom near the office and is unbooked for the day," Hop Sing's collar replied helpfully. Sander looked at him.

    "That collar of yours sure is mouthy," he pointed out. "That's not normal."

    "Mr. Smith, Mr. Gunter Smith, report to Ben Toeber's office. Timmy, report to Ben's office, too," the intercom shouted.

    "That's funny?" Hop Sing pointed out.

    "Not really. Ben's gonna give Smith a discount, make up his half day he lost, because Timmy almost killed him," Sander explained. "Then Timmy can get fucked all day today. Little slut, he'll love it."

    Just then, a man floated over to the edge of the pool on a blowup raft. He just an unremarkable as Smith. "Excuse me, little boy?" He asked. Sander sat up. "Yes, sir? Can I help you?"

    "Are you busy?" The man asked, "Or your little bald friend?  Say, what's that on your face?" The naked swimmer asked. Sander saw that he was already erect.

    "Uhhh, I had a little throat surgery, I can't eat, sir," Sander lied. "Liquid diet."

    "Sander is available for work," Sander's collar responded. Hop Sing cringed. "Hop Sing is in training, and is not available for services, other than conversation," Hop Sing's collar added.

    "So what, he watches us?" The guest asked.

    "Yes, sir, that's training. He's brand new. Do you like it if someone watches, sir? I do!" Sander put on his act.

    "Well, I guess," the man replied. "My name's Jones, Sander. Nice to meet you. Shall we?" He asked, holding out his arms. When he touched his ID card - which was worn like a necklace - to Sander's collar, it registered the sale and billed Jones accordingly, depositing a small percentage in Sander's account too.

    "Yes, sir!" Sander nodded, smiling, as he jumped to him. Jones caught him. "Sir, I don't wanna be pushy, but...I haven't had a guest in a few days, and well, I'm really anxious, sir," Sander almost begged, looking pathetic. It wasn't a total lie - the suppository had his inner rectum itching so badly that he was about to go insane. As much as he didn't want to, Sander just HAD to fuck. Anyone. Paying client or not.

    This time, as Hop Sing watched from a distance, it didn't bother him so bad. One of the older waiters, also a nullo, brought him a drink, too, and chatted for a bit while Jones and Sander fucked in the pool. To Hop Sing, it looked like they were trying to drown one another. He was also erect again, his little cock bobbing in time with his pulse. When they were done, Jones invited him to come swimming. Hop Sing's collar reminded Jones that sex was off limits, but that chaste play was fine. Nervously, Hop Sing joined them and actually had a good time until Jones wanted to fuck Sander again. It turned out that he made the young nullo cum, which didn't surprise Sander at all. He didn't really like it, but still, he knew he had to have it as his body had shivered in ecstasy. Still, Jones was the guest and he was happy. That was all that mattered. Jones ordered their lunch by the pool later on, and seemed pleased with his encounter. After lunch, he rubbed Hop Sing's head and left.

    "That's not good," Sander commented.

    "Why?"

    "He isn't spending the rest of the day with me. He'll probably go complain, and I'll be in trouble!" Sander worried. "Was lunch good?" He hadn't eaten anything since he had to act the part.

    "SANDER! Report to the hospital at once!" The intercom squawked.

    "Great," Sander muttered

    Much to his surprise, however, Mr. Jones was there waiting for him. Dr. Knox was not pleased. "This is a hospital, not a whorehouse!" He was saying. "I can't let you have the boy in a hospital bed!"

    "I paid for it," Jones replied, as the boys came in. "Now, fix him up with all the gadgets you can, so I can fuck him again! I always fantasized about having sex with a sick boy, you know!"

    Sander breathed a half-hearted sigh of relief, and did as his guest requested. Knox refused to let Hop Sing watch and sent him outside again, where he meet up with Chris over by the miniature golf course. Chris was wearing clothes, and Hop Sing almost didn't know him. He was dressed from head to toe in a beige tweed suit with knickers and a cap and dress shoes. "What are you supposed to be?" Hop Sing asked.

    "I'm a 1920's golf caddy, and we're going to play golf," Chris said haughtily. "My client wanted it, so I went to wardrobe and got it. I don't ask why, but he'll probably fuck me by the 8th hole, it's a par 4. Sir!" Chris yelled, picking up a golf bag, "The main golf course is this way!" He waved to a garishly dressed man, who came on over and patted Hop Sing's head. He and Chris left a stunned Hop Sing just standing there watching.

    "Some of these people are really weird," Hop Sing said to himself.

    "Yes, they are," his collar spoke up, "But they can't hurt you there. You're safe on the island."

    "Hello?" the boy asked it, trying to look down at it and pressing his chin into his chest. All he saw was his now-almost-constant erection.

    "Hello?" the collar replied.

    "Who's that in there?" Hop Sing tapped at his collar.

    "The island security system, designed and written by Mr. Tsu Chung Shin. And stop poking me!"

    "Sorry!" The boy offered, wondering about the gold collar that was locked permanently around his neck. What if it has a malfunction? He wondered.

    "No damage," the collar said. "Hop Sing is supposed to be with Sander, but he is not?"

    "The doctor made me leave when the man fucked Sander in the hospital," Hop Sing told it.

    "Language!" The collar told him, "That's a bad word, Hop Sing!"

    Hop Sing gasped. The collar sounded just like his father's tone of voice when he was upset. It made him feel sad. Unbeknownst to the boy, though, the collar transmitted this change in vital signs to the computer. "Don't feel bad, Hop Sing. Why don't you go get Sander and then go to the beach when he's done? Mr. Jones will want a nap after. He always does."

    Hop Sing did as he was told, and met Sander near the pool again. He was walking funny. "Damn doctor and his horny-shots," Sander grumbled, "So, what have you been doing, Hop?"

    "Talking to my collar," Hop Sing nodded seriously. "It talks like my father."

    "What?"

    "Tell him," Hop Sing tapped his collar, but the gold device remained quiet.  "It did! I promise! It talked to me like a person!"

    "They don't work like that," Sander told him, just as someone came walking up. He didn't say a thing, just tapped Sander's collar.

    "Sander if busy with appointments, booked solid for the rest of the day. San Carlos Island staff regrets any inconvenience, but reminds the guest that there are over 100 slave boys on the island to chose from! Have a nice day!" Sander's green collar said. "Sander, Hop Sing," it then added, as if an afterthought, "Report to the big rock on the beach, right away!"

    "Oh well," the guest sighed, patting Hop Sing's head as he walked away.

    "It lied!" Sander gasped in wonder. "I'm not booked! Jones released me, he's tired, and besides, he threw his back out! I'm free for now. Why did it do that? It NEVER does that!"

    "Let's go to the beach," Hop Sing nodded, pleased that Sander almost believed him. "Told you," he added.

    "Hop Sing never lies," the gold collar said, which made Sander jump.

    They spent the rest of the day on the beach together, unmolested. Every time someone inquired of Sander, his collar lied to it. When they tired of swimming, they built sand sculptures. Then they buried each other in the sand. When their collars told them to report for dinner, they'd just been lying in the sun on the big rock for hours. A couple of times, Hop Sing thought he saw something sticking up out of the water, but Sander never did. He didn't mention it to anyone else, nor did he mention his oddly acting collar.

    ***

    "It's your own fault," Chris was telling Timmy, as he - along with Hop Sing and Sander - rode the elevator up to their room that night. "What do you expect, after what you did, you little slut?" Chris laughed.

    "I can hardly walk," Timmy moaned, which actually made Sander laugh.

    "What kinda drugs they give you?" Chris asked Sander, "It's almost like somebody brought our friend back?"

    Sander looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry I was mean to you," he offered, as they went on into their room. "I...I was hurt and, well, I took it out on everyone else."

    "Yeah, you did," Timmy agreed, "But it's OK now!" He smiled.

    "In case they didn't tell you, when they brainwashed Timmy," Sander told Hop Sing, "They used bleach. Then they put it in the dryer and shrunk it!"

    They all laughed at that, until Timmy grimaced. "That's what you get for fucking the same guy all day long," Chris told him.

    "But he's fun!" Timmy protested, "He really likes me, too. He wants me to come to Switzerland when my contract's up!"

    "Timmy, they all say things like that," Sander pointed out, "Please don't get like I was when someone hurts you. They're all just lying!"

    "No, really, he wouldn't tell me what it was, but we went to the gift shoppe and he bought me something! I saw him charge it!"

     They were still  discussing it while they showered and settled in for the evening. Both Timmy and Chris were tired from their workday, and both turned in early. Oddly enough, Sander found that he was tired too. Unlike so many other recent nights, when he'd just wander his room or lay in bed awake, stewing, he found that he actually wanted to go to bed and sleep. He'd even eaten a good dinner, Doctor Knox had come and removed his tube, and it appeared that the old Sander was making a comeback. But when he got into his bed, unused for so long, it felt wrong. He looked up.

    Sitting across from him, just looking out the window forlornly, was Hop Sing. Despite the fact that he had an erection again, he looked absolutely miserable. Every now and then he would touch it, but then jerk his hand away.

    Sander felt something come up in his throat. They'd talked all day, he and Hop Sing, and with every passing word, Sander had envied him. He'd heard story after story about the brothers, his parents, his friends, his school...and how he so missed it all. But he'd also heard about Hop Sing knew that he was doing the right thing, as much as it hurt him, by agreeing to be a slave for Ben. His family was more important than just himself, he'd told Sander, more important than his boy parts. "So if they have to cut them off, they cut them off," he'd shrugged, as if he'd finally accepted the fact. He'd even refused Sander's repeated offers of a blow job, or a jerk off, saying he just couldn't do it.

    And he even liked YOU, Sander chided himself. He must be something special, then.

    Hop Sing sniffled, and one tear ran down his cheek.

    And then, for the first time since Matti had hurt him, Sander felt something that wasn't rage or guilt, or anger.

    He felt ashamed of himself, and it brought him to tears.

    How long he cried into his pillow, he didn't know. It wasn't until a warm little hand touched his shoulder that he looked up to see Hop Sing standing there at his bedside. It looked like he'd been there for a while.

    "You...you wanna sleep in my bed tonight, Sander?" He asked tentatively.

    Sander just nodded, joining him, but saying nothing. How does he DO that? Sander wondered silently.

    Hop Sing kissed him goodnight and hugged him tightly.

    "I love you, Sander," he whispered in his ear. "You gotta have somebody love you. You wait, you'll see!"

    Sander just sniffled in reply. Hop Sing was almost asleep when his collar vibrated softly. "You're such a good boy," it whispered to him, "Take care of your brother. It's your duty to him, now."

    Hop Sing gasped at the collar's tone, and for one wild instant, he thought he was back home and listening to his father.

    But he mentioned it to no one.

    Everyone else was fast asleep - they hadn't heard it.