Dave Casler
PO Box 98
Ridgway, Colorado 81432
Young Adult Novels by Dave Casler...
I've been told by publisher after publisher that there's no market for Young Adult novels. I think they're wrong! So I'm putting my novels on-line for you. Forget the publisher! Read to your heart's content--it's free! And, I'd like to hear from you, too! Contact Page.
You're reading About Dan. Be sure to check out About Phillip here.
Dan is a normal kid who loves his soccer. Except everything goes wrong. Everything.
About Series Home
About the About Series
Index to All Chapters
Here are all the chapters, disguised as asterisks. Hover your mouse over an asterisk to see the title of the chapter. Click on the asterisk to go straight to that chapter.
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(About Dan Home) (Last) (Next)
How to Prove It?
"No," replied Dan, simply.
"If you're living with someone else, are they the legal guardian?"
"It's really complicated. I'll contact my dad. By the way, how many days will I be out of school?"
"Well, the day of the surgery. You'll have to have someone bring you here and take you home. It’ll take the morning. Then for two days afterwards. You might try school the third day, but don't if you don't feel like it."
"Could we do it on a Friday, then? I really can't afford to miss more school. I'm trying to get caught up and need to be in class as much as I can."
Dr. Jones looked at him quizzically. "Is this the same Dan Cook I knew last fall?"
Dan was puzzled and didn't get the joke. "Uh, yeah."
Dr. Jones just chuckled. "I'll have Brenda check, but I think it might work. Just remember, I need signed paperwork."
"Ok. I'll get it for you. What should I do in the meantime."
"Nothing special. Just the same as before. You'll need to come into the hospital the night before to have a blood test and do paperwork."
"Are they looking for AIDS or something?" asked Dan.
"Hmm...you know Dan, that might be a good idea. Let's see. The injury was in early September. It's now late January. That's four and a half months. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea. To really be sure, it would be at six months. You can sometimes tell as early as three months. Why don't I have them add that test?"
"Uh, ok." Dan didn't say anything about Ernesto or the trip to Denver.
"I doubt you would have picked anything up, even if your opposite number had been HIV positive. I cleaned everything very thoroughly and trimmed away all the bone that went into the other boy's abdomen. I didn't want to chance anything, you know."
"Thank you."
"Of course, you have a very long pin. Does it bother you at all? Do you feel anything there?"
"No."
"Good. Any other questions?"
"No. Yes. I do have another question. How can I tell if my dad is really my dad? I've heard there's something called a paternity test?"
Dr. Jones was startled but quickly pasted his smile back on. "Dan, you do come up with some interesting questions." He leaned back on his stool and put his hands behind his head. "Yes, there's something called paternity testing. It's extremely accurate. I take it there are questions to be answered?"
"Yes."
"There's a lab here in Boulder. I'll have Brenda get you the address. Both you and your Dad will have to give blood. Sometimes they can do it with cheek cells. Either way. But it's not cheap. I think it's around five hundred dollars. They send the samples out and then you'll get a report."
"Ok, thanks."
"Young man, you are leading a very complicated life right now. Are you sure you want to compound everything with surgery? You know, we can put this off until summer," suggested Dr. Jones.
"No, I'd like to go ahead. If the surgery is successful, it’ll actually uncomplicate some things. And, it'll give me a chance to get in shape for this fall's soccer season. I'm pretty out of shape now."
"Ok, Dan, it sounds like you've thought it through. One thing to remember is to call the school district main office and ask for the handicapped bus service again for the days you're on crutches and for a few days afterwards until we can get you out of the immobilizing brace and back into this thing." He reached over for the brace. "Let's put this on and get you out of here."