For Love

Five year old Jonny Quest sat at the kitchen table, coloring. His mother put a glass of juice on the table for him, and sat beside him. "Thank you Mommy." The boy said, his blue eyes bright. He looked up at her. "This is for you Mommy." He gave her the picture.

Rachel smiled at her son. "Thank you!" She replied. "This is beautiful!"

Jonny beamed at the praise. Mommy loved his pictures. "It's us, you, an Daddy an me an Bandit." He explained, "We're playing at the beach."

"It's wonderful! Let's put this on the fridge right now." Rachel said. She and Jonny were crossing the kitchen when she looked up and screamed. "Jonny!"

Three masked men had burst into the kitchen, guns raised. "Mommy!" Jonny screamed at the same time Rachel yelled, "No!" grabbing her son in her arms.

The men began firing as she turned her back to them, using her body as a shield to save her only son. Everything was happening at once now. Pain exploded in Rachel's back and legs and she fell forward onto her son. "Stay still." She breathed quietly, "Close your eyes and don't move."

Jonny was terrified, but obeyed his mother without question. The loud bangs stopped. Footsteps drew close.

"They're gonners." A rough voice said.

Rachel held her breath as the men left them bleeding on the floor. When she was sure they were gone she let out a gasp.

Jonny started crying. "Mommy, it hurts!" He whimpered, a red stain spreading across his shoulder. Then he saw her. "Mommy!" He cried.

She rolled off him and he could see the blood coming from several holes in his mother. "Mommy, no!" He gripped her hand, petrified of hurting her.

"Baby, oh Baby I'm so sorry." Mommy whispered. There was blood coming from the corner of her mouth now.

"Mommy don't leave me! I wanna go too." The child sobbed, clinging to his mother.

"No, Baby, you can't. You hafta…" She coughed a bit. "Stay with… Daddy. Daddy needs you." His mother told him. "Jonny, Daddy will… Need you… Baby, I'll always… be with you… Tell Daddy… I'm sorry…" Mommy coughed harder. "I love him… Jonny… Baby… I love you…"

Rachel's eyes focused on her sobbing child. He was so much of her beloved Benton. "I love you…" She repeated one last time. There, on the kitchen floor, her child gripping her hand, Rachel Quest breathed her last breath.

"Mommmyyyyy!" The boy wept. Snuggling close to his mother Jonny closed his eyes.

* * * * *

Benton knew the instant he drove up to the house that something was terribly wrong. The back door stood open and Bandit was barking loudly in the kitchen. How had the puppy gotten out of his pen? Where was… Panicked, Benton sprinted to the kitchen door.

"Noooooooooo!" He screamed. His wife lay on the floor on her side, her back covered in blood. A pool of dark red had spread around her. So much blood. Too much blood. Then he saw the blond hair his wife's shoulder hid, and he screamed again. "Jonnyyy!"

Bandit limped over to him as he dropped to his knees beside his wife and son. Rachel, oh please no… Benton wailed in anguish, his beloved wife was gone. And Jonny… Oh God no! His baby was bleeding too! Fearfully he touched his child's arm. He was still warm. "Jonny, Baby?"

Benton wept as his trembling hand dialed 911. He could barely speak enough to tell the operator that his wife was dead, and his son shot. Keeping one hand on his son's wound he rocked back and forth, willing his only child not to die. Minutes passed like centuries. Benton sobbed freely, terrified of loosing his son as well as his wife. If Jonny died too there was no reason to go on.

Benton waited helplessly for the ambulance. Beside him Bandit whimpered. For the first time Benton saw the puppy. He was covered in blood too. Bloody paw prints circled his son and wife's bodies. Bandit sat, his right front paw held off the floor, his left paw twitching. His muzzle was scratched and bleeding. Clearly he'd broken out of his pen to get to his family. Dropping the phone Benton lifted the puppy off the floor. If Jonny lived, oh please not if… If Jonny lived he would need Bandit badly.

One hand pressed to his son's shoulder, the other steadying the wounded puppy Benton could only wait for the sirens that were drawing near. If only they hadn't come too late for Rachel.

* * * * *

There was nothing to do now but wait. Benton sat in the waiting room at Rockport General Hospital, his head in his hands, praying for his child to live. Then he stopped. Who would hear his prayers? If there had been someone up there his five year old child would not be in surgery, hanging onto his life by a thread after watching his mother die. He spoke now to Rachel. "Please not Jonny too." He breathed.

"Benton?" Came the gentle voice of one of his friends.

Rocked by his grief for his wife the thirty-two year old didn't even look up. He didn't even remember calling anyone, but his friends had begun to arrive at the hospital shortly after him. Or was it hours later? Benton couldn't be bothered to care. His beloved Rachel, the mother of his son was gone. What mattered now but their child?

"Benton, we're here." Anther friend replied. At last Benton looked up.

"How did you know?" He asked. How could he sound so very normal when his heart had shattered? How could he be calm when his world was upside down? He looked into the eyes of his three college roommates, his best friends. "When did you get here?"

"You were on the phone with me when you got home." Answered Fenton Hardy, the owner of the gentle voice. "I called everyone."

"We've been here, all of us together, for a couple hours." Offered Carson Drew, the second friend.

"How is Jonny?" Wondered Tom Swift, the third roommate and a business associate of Benton's.

Benton shook his head. "I don't know." He whispered. My baby may be… The fear for his son brought Benton's tears back anew. Choking back a sob he buried his face in his hands once more. This time he felt the arms that wrapped around him, trying their best to comfort him.

The room was silent except for the sounds of the hospital and the clock on the wall. Was it ticking away the last minutes of Jonny's life? Benton's quiet sobs broke into the silence. Then there were footsteps.

"Dr. Quest?"

Slowly, fearfully Benton raised his eyes to see a doctor standing before him. "My baby?" He croaked.

The doctor knelt down to Benton's eye level. "He was shot in the shoulder. The bullet missed everything vital. It broke his collar bone and is lodged in his shoulder blade. We got what we could, but there's no way to get all of it out without removing bone. What's left is only fragments. They won't effect him. It'll take a while, but he will recover. He'll even regain full use of his arm, with time. "

"Can I see him?" Benton asked hoarsely.

"Yes, but I think you might want to change first." The doctor suggested. "I have some clothes you can borrow, you look about my size."

Benton looked down at himself at last. Blood, his wife's, his son's, Bandit's, covered the legs and knees of his khakis. It was streaked across his favorite shirt, the one Rachel had given him… Don't. He told himself. Don't think of how much you love her, of her smile, of… Don't remember, not now. Be strong for Jonny. Taking a deep breath Benton nodded his thanks.

Standing up, his three friends helped to steady him. Brushing away his tears Benton followed the doctor into his new life as a single widower with a child to raise alone.