AUTUMN... anything but dull (Part 38h)

As soon as the last pledge finished his initiation there was a big party for them in the bar area of the fraternity. I stayed for about an hour and then retreated to the room where I had been grabbing a few hours sleep during the “Hell Week” process. I hadn’t even started to take off my clothes when the door came crashing open. I didn’t even get a chance to see who it was that barged through the door. It take long to figure out though. I recognized the voice of one of them and it was one of the now initiated pledges that I had been harassing throughout the Fall. I was manhandled down the stairs and then outside. At that point I knew there were at least four of them as each arm and leg was grabbed by a different person. I tried fighting them off but ended up hurting myself so after a few minutes gave up. They carried me across the road and to the edge of the campus lake. There was a standing school rule that no one was to go in or onto the lake. They didn’t care as I found myself flying through the air and splashing into the water, back first. As I came back to the surface I made the mistake of trying to stand up. As I did I found myself sinking slowly into the muck that lay on the bottom. I could feel the pressure of it on my legs when I tried to pull them back up. I found that I couldn’t. In fact I found I couldn’t move at all. I also found myself incredibly cold. I don’t know how cold it was outside at the time but, being a sailor, I was aware of hypothermia.

I watched the perpetrators as they ran back towards the house. I knew they wouldn’t come back so didn’t even bother to yell. But when I realized that I was basically trapped by the muck I did. Not only was I cold but now I was frightened. When I found that I didn’t have the strength to even try to pull my legs out of the muck I started screaming for help. Thank God that a few of the brothers of the neighboring fraternity were outside their house hazing some of their own pledges. Two ran across the road to see what all the noise was about. I was able to convey that I was stuck in the muck and desperately in need of help. One of them stayed by the edge of the lake and the other ran back to the fraternity. The guy who stayed tried keeping me somewhat calm. I don’t know how long it took (about then I started loosing it) but when help came they threw me a rope. I was able to wrap the rope around me and to tie some sort of a knot. a I don’t remember being pulled out of the lake or being carried to their fraternity. The first thing I do remember was lying on the floor of a shower, in a fetal position, with warm water pouring over me. I was shaking uncontrollably. The next thing I knew I was at the infirmary.

Long story short... I ended up with pneumonia. I don’t have much to tell about my stay in the infirmary except that I certainly didn’t get to see Elle that weekend. If there was one good thing that came of the whole episode it was that Mrs T, when I didn’t come to deliver Joanne’s pies for two days, came looking for me. After a few days in there I wanted out as soon as possible. But the infirmary doctor, knowing college student's habits, wouldn’t release me until he was sure I was better. But, being a small town where everybody knew everybody else, Mrs T’s doctor happened to be the same one I had at the infirmary. When I complained to Mrs T she, without telling me, told the doctor that she was willing to have me stay with her for a few days if he would release me. When I heard that news I was ecstatic. To do it though, I had to get my parents permission. That was easy. When I was released I was told no activity for at least three days and then to get the doctor’s approval to go back to classes. That was fine by me. I knew I’d certainly get fed well. The timing was perfect as I was finally to the point where food started to look good again. When I left the infirmary I had lost 7 pounds. They were pounds that I could ill afford to lose. Being 6’1“ and only 142 pounds made me look like a scare crow.

The minute I heard Mrs T say that she wanted me to go to her house my mind started racing. Even though I got an almost weekly peek at both Mrs T’s and Joanne’s panties hanging on the clothesline I was hoping that I’d get some real up close and personal looks during my visit. That, on top of good cooking... an unbeatable combination!

Fortunately, some of my friends were able to contact Elle before that weekend to let her know what happened and that I wouldn't be over to see her. I couldn’t call from the infirmary as I was only allowed to contact my parents. Mr and Mrs T were super kind to me in just about every way when I got to their house including the use of the telephone. I could hear the concern in Elle’s voice when I finally got to talk with her. My memory is fuzzy on the day of the week because I lost a couple of them completely. I think it might've been Sunday. But I told Elle I’d be down to see her as soon as I was released from the doctor’s care which would've been the following weekend. That seemed to calm her... and allowed me to focus on my time with the T’s.

To be continued...