For the past month now Alex had been waking up in the mornings with a stiff dickey. He had also been getting a stiff dickey in the afternoons as well. The first time it had happened Alex had been afraid and uncertain about what it was. He hadn't told his parents because he was afraid of what they might do or say. His dickey had gotten stiff one afternoon a month ago and he had wondered what it was and had quickly come into his bedroom to look. He had touched it as well and that had made it feel better for a while. Sometimes he got a stiff dickey two or three times a day now!

He had kept it a secret from his parents for nearly a month now and had thought he was doing a good job of it until his mom had caught him looking at it in the mirror. She had seemed shocked and had told him to put his clothes back on right away and to never take it out. Then there had been whispers between his parents for a few hours downstairs and he had sat up on the railing looking down at them talking animatedly to one another.

Alex really didn't look like either one of his parents, his mom was small like he was, but she had dark brown hair and green eyes. Her nose wasn't the same as his nor was her thin face. His dad was a tall man and big too with dark hair as well and not a single feature that seemed to belong anywhere on Alex's face. His mom said he looked like his great uncle whom Alex had never met and doubted he would ever meet. So he had stayed up there watching his parents talk for a long while and then gone back to his room.

In his room he tried not to play with his still stiff dickey but the temptation was too much. He had played with it for a little while before falling asleep. The next morning his mother had told him that they were going to see Doctor Henderson the following day. That day had arrived, it was today. Alex was about to pull his little stiffy out of his boxers when his mother called out to him, "Alex come on get dressed and get down here we don't want to be late for the appointment with Doctor Henderson!" Alex sighed and stopped rubbing his little pencil thin two and a half inches long dickey through his boxers and grabbed his clothes pulling them on.

Once dressed he went downstairs and joined his mom and dad as they headed out to the car. His parents didn't speak; in fact their minds seemed to be dwelling on something that was weighing heavily on them. At one point as his dad parked the car his dad said to his mom, "don't worry Sam its not going to be what we think it is."

His mom had squeezed his dad's hand and said, "I-I know you don't want it to be Hank..." That was all that was said in whispers between them before his mom turned to him and said, "Come on Alex lets go see Doctor Henderson."

Alex by now had stayed quiet about this but now he couldn't, "I-I won't touch it ever again mommy please! I don't want to see the doctor!" All he knew was that there was something wrong and that he didn't like it.

His dad smiled and said, "Don't worry about it champ its nothing important and it'll be over before you know it." All Alex knew was that his parents were going to do something about his stiff dickeys. Maybe he wasn't supposed to get stiff ones! He wasn't sure. He got out of the car with his parents and walked with them up to the hospital and once inside they wondered over to an elevator. His dad had to slide a card into the slot beside the elevator and then they were inside the elevator riding it up and up. Finally the doors opened and they stepped out into a small doctor's office.

Alex had been to see Doctor Henderson a few times before and it always made him feel strange being here. The office was usually quite and today was no different. There were no other kids around. All that the room had was a reception desk and doors leading back. The lady behind the counter smiled at them and said, "Mr., Mrs. Nesutton right on time as usual. Come in the doctor is expecting you." She opened the door for them and they walked down the corridor to a room marked: Exam C and once in there she said, "just have Alex take his clothes off and put the gown on and the doctor will be with you soon."

She closed the door and his dad led Alex into the back area of the room and said, "go ahead son you know what to do." Alex changed and when he came back out his mom and dad had been joined by Doctor Henderson. Try as he might Alex couldn't keep his stiffy down. It had been like that for the past few days now, not listening to him!

Doctor Henderson smiled and said, "Climb up onto the exam table for me Alex." Alex did as the doctor wished. IT wasn't that Doctor Henderson was mean or even ugly. He was actually not a bad looking man with light blonde hair and large brown eyes. He was kind and treated Alex nicely but it always seemed like something that Alex didn't know about was going on. As he laid down on the table the doctor got a bottle of something and said, "lift up the gown for me Alex." Alex did as the doctor wished showing off his stomach.

The doctor squeezed some of that liquid onto Alex's stomach and then he brought over a strange looking machine. He rubbed the liquid onto Alex's lower stomach and moved the machine around for awhile before finally nodding and resting it in one spot. Alex wasn't sure what was going on, but his parents looked afraid and all three of them were studying the monitor with great interest. Alex couldn't see it though he really wanted to. Finally Doctor Henderson nodded and Alex's mom's eyes got a little bigger and she said, "is-it. . ."

The Doctor put up a hand and said, "not here Sam lets go talk in the other room." He stood up taking the machine off of Alex's stomach and then turning it off and putting it away again before saying, "Alex you stay right here I have to talk with your parents then when we get back we'll talk some more okay?" Alex nodded and the doctor led his parents through another door.

Alex laid there for a second wondering what was going on and then finally unable to resist got up and walked over to the closed door. He could hear the voices perfectly if he leaned his ear against the door. ". . .it just can't be happening!" That was his mom speaking. ......(cont)