"Shawn? Where are you? You were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago."
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"Shawn? It's been over half an hour now, and the food's gone cold. Honestly, I spend all day cooking for my own damn birthday and you can't be bothered to show up."
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"Shawn! Call me when you've learned to be considerate! I asked for one little thing! Don't bother with apologies; I've heard it all before."
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Henry sighed loudly at the familiar roar of the motorcycle as it came to a stop outside his house. He shook his head and turned up the volume on the TV just enough to drown out the sounds of Shawn's footsteps outside the door but not enough to drown out the sounds of his fist banging on the wooden door.
"Dad?" Henry heard the muffled call, but ignored it. "Dad?" Shawn tried again louder "Come on! Please open the door!"
Henry sighed again. He slammed the TV remote down on the coffee table and stalked to the door angrily. He pulled the door open and snapped at his son. "What!"
"I'm sorry."
"Just forget it Shawn." Henry began to shut the door, but Shawn put his foot in the way.
"I can explain!"
"I don't care Shawn! Get your foot out of my door," he ordered.
"Please Dad I…"
"No Shawn! I asked for one thing, ONE thing! And as usual you let me down. If I mean that little to you, you can get out of here"
Shawn sighed in defeat and took a step away from the door, flinching as the door slammed shut. He turned and slinked back to his motorcycle, rubbing his aching wrists as he went.
___________
Henry bit into the buttered toast and it crunched loudly in his mouth. He washed it down with a big gulp of black coffee as he sat down at the kitchen table. He leaned back until his chair was on its hind legs and reached out to switch on the tv. CNN breakfast news instantly appeared on the screen and Henry wrinkled his nose. He pressed another button until the local news appeared. Finally satisfied with his channel choice, Henry put the chair back on all fours and took another bite of his toast.
"A hostage situation at a gas station in Santa Barbara last night ended with one injured and the assailant in a critical condition. Three other hostages were unharmed. Santa Barbara Police Chief Karen Vick described it as the best possible outcome and has hailed her department for the swift action and surgical precision that saved the hostages lives."
Henry glanced back round at the TV to watch footage from the aftermath of the hostage situation. Police cars sat in between ambulances, the red and blue lights reflecting off every shiny surface.
"The police stormed the gas station two hours into the situation and disarmed the assailant, now identified as Rick Bynes, before finding the four hostages tied up in a back room."
He'd seen it all before when he was with the police force, nothing ever changed. He finished his toast and coffee quickly and returned upstairs to get ready.
He'd pulled his jacket on, pulled his cap over his balding head and was just about the step out of the house when the phone rang. He spun round and headed back into the house.
"Henry Spencer," he answered the phone gruffly.
"Henry, it's Karen."
Henry smiled slightly. "Karen, what can I do for you?"
"I was phoning about Shawn."
Henry frowned. "What about him?"
"I've tried phoning his place, but he's not picking up. I wanted to seen if he was doing okay after yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
"Yes…didn't anybody tell you? It's all over the news."
"Tell me what?"
"Shawn was one of the hostages as the gas station last night."
Henry closed his eyes, remembering how Shawn had tried to explain why he hadn't turned up to dinner. He had just slammed the door in his face. "Oh God," Henry sighed. "Was he hurt?"
"Nothing serious," Karen explained. "A slight bump to the head and some cuts on his wrists where they'd tied him up. I tried to get him to go to hospital to get checked out fully, but he kept insisting he had to be somewhere."
Henry pulled his cap off and rubbed his head. "I'm sorry Karen. I've got to go find my son."
"Call me when you find me, so I know he's okay."
"Will do Karen."
"Happy Birthday Henry," Karen said before hanging up the phone.
Henry slammed the phone down and picked up his cap. He opened the front door and closed it behind him. His car keys were pulled from his pocket and he climbed into his truck. First stop was the Psych office. If Karen couldn't reach Shawn at home, it meant he wasn't there. Shawn always picked up his phone.
It took less than ten minutes to reach his son's work place. He spotted Shawn's bike and parked in the spot next to it. He climbed out of the car, walked down the busy street and entered the office quietly. From the outer room, Henry could see his son lying on the couch, hugging a cushion and eyes fixed on the television screen.
The door creaked loudly as Henry opened and Shawn's attention was torn from the TV. "Dad?" Shawn dropped the cushion and sat up, swinging his legs over the side.
Henry moved into the room and sat down on the opposite couch. "I got a call from Karen, asking me if you were okay," Henry started.
Shawn nodded, "I tried to explain last night, but you wouldn't let me."
"What was I supposed to think?"
"Oh right," Shawn nodded as he rose to his feet. "Because I'm so unreliable, how can you trust that I won't go bungee jumping or white water rafting instead of turning up to dinner?"
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to Dad, it's how you've always thought of me. He'll turn up unless he finds something better, right? What have I done to make you think so little of me?"
Henry stood up. "Oh I don't know, how about the various times you've disappeared because you're riding your bike around the country, the times you're turned up late because you were out with Gus?"
Shawn nodded, "Okay dad." He brushed past his dad and started for the door grabbing his helmet as he went.
"Where are you going?"
"Someplace where I'm not a complete disappointment," Shawn called back as he slammed the office door behind him. Henry went after him, following Shawn to his bike.
"Shawn!"
"What?" Shawn snapped back.
Henry's flicked from Shawn's bruised wrists up to Shawn's face. "I'm glad you're okay."
Shawn nodded. "Me too," he sighed. "Happy Birthday Dad," he said before revving the bike and riding away.