Marked for Life

Andrew and Cody emerge from the snake room. Andrew's arm desperately needs attention.

With every step, he deteriorates. Cody knows rattlesnake bites are nothing to play with.

He also knows his friend is in for a long, hard ride.

When Jamie walks downstairs to find Andrew suffering in the La-Z-Boy, he says, "Oh, Andrew. Are you scared, Son?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, then," the man says, "we should already be at the hospital by now."

One night, up to no good, Cody starts Messaging people on Facebook.

It's a risk, but it's a good thrill.

Soon, his wife bursts into the room. His heart skips a beat.

"What have you been doing in here, Cody??" she yells. "Who were you Messaging online?!"

Cody, ashamed, blocks the computer screen, but realizes it's futile. His wife is laser focused. The other woman on Facebook must have notified her.

Needless to say, the two go "straight to fighting."

The Bible passage "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man" from Deuteronomy means another life change for Cody. This child of the serpent-handling faith continues to suffer from the reverberations of a horrid abuse case... and now, this.

A real-life monster, behind bars, means Cody can now tune into his father's shepherding style. Jamie Coots is the beloved preacher from Middlesboro who leads the family church. Cody will pursue a friendship with his father.

Cody gets word that his mother Linda Coots is looking for his sister, Trina.

"For some reason," she explains, "Trina is not answering her phone."

Meanwhile, Cody continues to express feelings toward Cassy. He asks her to drop everything and come be with him.

"I have done so much to disappoint my family," Cassy explains, standing in the church parking lot. Cody calls Andrew for advice.

A stranger, an artist and ex-fundamentalist preacher from Alabama, is interested in Cody's Signs-following songs. He reaches out.

"These have never been documented before," the stranger says. "Would you and Cassy mind singing a few into my handheld recorder?"

A relationship begins. It leads to a Nashville-produced album of Cody and Cassy, called the "Coots Duo."

(For more, the Alabama Astronaut Podcast features Abe Partridge, Ferrill Gibbs, and characters from Marked for Life in a music-related setting.)