Brad didn't know who bumped the device. It was just one of the guests and it was an accident but the guest didn't just bump the device. He knocked it over and it came down with a crash. Brad could see bits and pieces break off and fly away from the crashed device.
Everybody stopped as they all realized what just happened. The guest who knocked it over said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to bump it."
Brad cried, "It took me months to calibrate that machine. Each piece had to be just right because a micrometer off and it won't work. I don't have another device. I'm going to be stuck like this for months until I can rebuild it."
The guest said, "I really am sorry. It was an accident."
Dan interrupted, "No, Tony, you were drunk as usual. I'm sorry Brad for inviting Tony. I should have known he couldn't handle his liquor."
Tony said, "I only had two glasses."
Dan said, "And three shots probably. Just shut up for now. We'll deal with you later."
Tony sulked off.
Dan said, "Now Brad and Tad, I truly am sorry but you need to realize the big picture. Brad, how can you rebuild the device when your hands are stone?"
Brad looked at his hands. Tad spoke up, "I've got a wrestling match in a week. How long am I going to be stuck like this?"
Brad said, "I don't know."
Dan said, "Listen, since it's partly my fault, I owe you. So here is what I'm going to do. I'm going to let you stay here in my mansion and while you stay here, I will take care of you and help you anyway I can. I do not know how to repair your device but if you give me instructions, I will do what I can. I will also call whoever you need me to call and arrange whatever you need me to arrange."
Brad said, "Thank you."
The party continued. Although everyone was somber for a while, they began to loosen up. Brad worked his way through the five stages of grief in his own head trying his best to ignore all the partiers around him. If he could have, he would have gone somewhere private but that wasn't an option. But even Brad began to relax when he got to the stage called acceptance.
The partiers did give Brad and Tad some space but they didn't completely ignore the naked statues in the room. Brad and Tad were the nights entertainment after all, the center of every conversation.
Often, when some guy would touch Brad, Brad would say, "Please don't touch me." and the guest would stop touching Brad. But Brad didn't always say something and as the night progressed, Brad said less and less and the partiers got bolder. They stroked Brad's cock and Brad hated to admit it but it felt good.
But then the partiers started to drift away. Some went to other rooms to have a little fun. Some went out to the pool. Some left the mansion altogether to have a little fun elsewhere. Before everyone left, Dan asked for help moving the statue out to the pool area.
"You're putting us outside?" Tad protested. "It's going to get cold out there."
Dan said, "Nonsense. It'll stay warm enough and if it doesn't, just yell. There is a speaker so that I will be able to hear you. But where you are right now was only great for the party. It will be much better for the statue to be outside."
Brad said, "But we aren't statues."
Dan said, "Sure you are. All except your head. What did you expect, I was going to let you sleep in a bed?"
Brad said, "But we're naked. Your neighbors will see."
Dan said, "But you're a statue. Just be a statue."
Brad continued to protest but Dan and his friends moved the statue outside anyway. Then it was finally late and Brad and Tad were left alone for the night. No amount of protesting would get Dan to come back. Dan told them, "If it's a real problem let me know. Otherwise, I might shut off the speaker and then, just like the boy who cried wolf, I won't come if you really need me."
So Brad stopped complaining and tried to sleep. Brad's neck was completely stone. The statue process had gotten all the way up his neck before it was interrupted so Brad found it surprisingly comfortable. His statufied muscles felt no strain. His statufied skin felt no irritation.
He kept breathing and he wondered about how. Because Chad was in complete stasis as a statue, it was perfectly fine for Chad to stop breathing but Brad still had a fleshy head that somehow breathed despite his statufied lungs being in stasis. It didn't make any sense but Brad would have to figure that out later.
Brad drifted off to sleep feeling like he was supposed to be a statue. He dreamed about being on display in a museum with Tad's cock still deep inside him as friends and family passed by. People complimented them on what a beautiful statue pair they made. But Brad's papa complained about how ashamed he was of Brad being a gay statue.
Brad woke up to feel Tad's breath on his neck. Tad's neck had not completely statufied and Tad rested his head on Brad's shoulder as a pillow. As the morning continued, Brad began to enjoy Tad's closeness. He could still feel Tad's cock deep inside Brad and Tad's chest pressed against Brad's back. It felt nice being this close to another human being if only that human being was female instead of male. Still it felt nice.
Finally Dan came out and asked, "Are you hungry for breakfast?"
Brad said, "I don't know if we can eat or not."
Dan said, "I don't know either. Just let me know if you get hungry enough to try."
Brad said that he didn't feel hungry and they woke Tad who agreed that he didn't feel hungry either. Then Dan started washing the statue. Brad didn't know how to feel about Dan washing his cock and ass but he supposed it had to be done. Dan even combed their hair and dried them off.
Dan got his breakfast and sat near the statue to eat. He turned on the t.v. to get the news. There was a news report about the science fair where Chad was turned into a statue. They showed Chad the statue in all his glory.
Brad complained, "Isn't there a law about nudity on television?"
Dan said, "Yea but it doesn't apply to statues."
Brad would have spoke further but then a television commenter brought up the same issue. The news commenters got into a discussion about the legal matters but the program director said, "Until a judge determines otherwise, that boy has the legal status of a statue. He was transformed into a statue and that is how the law should consider the issue."
Dan then had to leave. Brad thought he might be bored but it was too pleasant, like sleeping in with his lover. Too bad his lover was male but still, Tad felt nice.
They talked and got to know each other.