Disclaimer: I do not own Jonny Quest.
"See you later Dad!"
"Wait! Jonny!" called Benton Quest after his retreating son.
"What? Dad, I really gotta go or I'll be late." Jonny said, jumping lightly on the spot where he stopped.
"I just wanted to remind you that tonight is our dinner night together. What would you like to eat?" Benton asked giving his son a small smile.
"Oh, sorry Dad! Can't make it. My video game club is meeting at the arcade after school for a special meeting and I can't miss it." Jonny replied looking over at Jessie, who had stopped about twenty feet away from him with their hover boards in hand.
Benton's expression fell slightly. "You've never missed a dinner together. We've been doing this ever since your mother died."
"Yeah, well…" Jonny replied, scratching his head nervously and looking down. "I'm a teenager now. I'm growing up. Traditions will start changing…"
Benton sighed and gave his son a sad smile. "You're right. Have a good day at school, son."
Giving his father one final smile, he ran off to join his red haired friend who was waiting with a slightly irritated look on her face.
"What was that about?" Jessie asked as the blonde approached her.
"Nothing important." Jonny replied giving her an amused smile and taking his hover board. "Race you to school!"
"Oh, you're on!" Jessie accepted enthusiastically.
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"Hey Benton, where do you want this?"
"Over in that corner, Race." Benton replied without taking his eyes off his computer screen.
Once Race was done putting the box down in the place Benton ordered, he looked up at his friend noticed he looked a little pale and was rubbing his chest slightly.
"Hey Benton, you alright?" Race asked, concern taking over his face.
"I'm fine Race. Just a little indigestion is all." he replied as he stood up. "I'm going to go see how Hadji is doing with the report for Professor Curtiss."
"If you say so, Doc." Race said, unconvinced.
As Race began to exit the room he heard Benton give a slight groan. Alarmed, he turned just in time to see his friend fall to the ground.
"Benton! Benton! Are you alright?" Race exclaimed as he ran to the doctor's side. Rolling him onto his side, Race noticed Benton's eyes rolling into the back of his head. "Oh no. Hadji! HADJI!"
Quick and heavy footsteps followed his calls until they ceased in front the doorway to the room he was in.
"Yes, Race? What is it?" Hadji gasped. "Doctor Quest!"
"Hadji, call an ambulance! Now!" Race ordered.
Without argument, Hadji ran out of the room.
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"Ready to shoot some dinosaurs Jonny?"
"You bet!" Jonny replied to his fellow gamer. "Those dinosaurs are going down!"
"Glad to see you're so enthusiastic about something, Mr. Quest." came a stern voice from behind Jonny.
Jonny looked up at his teacher nervously. "Er…Sorry Mrs. Johnson."
"No matter, Mr. Quest. This note just came to me from the front office. You are to take your things and head up there at once."
Confused, Jonny got up hesitantly and ignored as his buddies snickered at him as he exited the classroom. He walked nervously towards the front office, unsure of what he would find there.
Once there, Jonny felt the weight that had been building on his shoulders lift. A tall, muscular man with white hair was standing against the wall with his arms crossed and eyes downcast.
"Race!" he called out joyfully. "What's up? Why are you here?"
Jonny felt that nervousness return again once he saw the look on Race's face.
"Jonny…it's your dad."
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Jonny, Hadji, and Race waited for what seemed like years. They were joined within two hours by Jessie who Race had called once school had been let out. They waited in silence, Jonny pacing up and down the waiting room floor. Looking at every doctor with an anxious and hopeful look. The sun was setting before a doctor finally came up to them. Jonny was the first to speak.
"Is he dead?" Jonny asked, his chest clenching from worry.
"No, but all the goodness I have. He suffered from a heart attack that was brought on by an arrhythmia which caused the lack of blood to his brain. That's what made him lose consciousness and is keeping him comatose."
"I need to see him." Jonny said rushing forward but the doctor held him back.
"That may not be a good idea at this time." the doctor said giving him a sympathetic look.
"He's my father. I need to see him!" Jonny exclaimed, tears threatening to pour from his eyes.
"Doc…please." Race said, giving the doctor a pleading look. Hadji and Jessie watched Jonny with worried expressions.
The doctor sighed and said, "Very well. Follow me."
They followed the doctor along the corridor that lead to Dr. Quest's room; Race, Jessie and Hadji all keeping an eye on Jonny as they walked.
Once they reached Dr. Quest's room and were standing at his bedside, they all drew sharp intakes of breath. Dr. Quest was hooked up to three machines and was very pale.
Jonny was the first to speak. "Can I be alone with him, please?"
"I don't think that's a good idea. You shouldn't be alone right now," Jessie said casting him a concerned look.
"I want to be alone with my father." Jonny said, frustrated.
"Jonny-" Jessie started but stopped when her father put his hand on her shoulder.
"You have no problem with him be alone with him for a few minutes, do you Doc?" Race asked giving the doctor a small smile.
"No, not at all." said the doctor and motioned for the three to follow him out into the hallway.
Jonny watched them exit the room and waited for the door to close in order to move closer to his father's bedside.
"Dad?" Jonny said cautiously, looking down at the older man. He took his hand in his own. "Dad, can you hear me? If so, give my hand a squeeze…please?"
When he received no reaction, Jonny lost all control and began to cry. "Dad…I'm so sorry."
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"Look at him. He looks so miserable." Jessie whispered, looking at her blonde haired friend from the other side of the living room.
"Yes. I have never seen him so upset. Not even when his mother died. When that happened, he was just angry all the time." Hadji responded, also in a whisper.
Jonny was sitting next to the window that overlooked the sea. His eyes were red and swollen from the crying he had been doing since he visited his dad in the hospital. He had been there since they came home that night and had not moved. Not even when Bandit attempted to get Jonny to play with him did he move or show any sign of knowing that his dog was in front of him.
"I just wish there was something we could do." Jessie said sadly. Hadji just nodded in return.
"Hey Ponchita," Race said as he entered the room. Jessie and Hadji looked up as the older man entered the room. "It's almost time for you to head out for school."
"Alright," Jessie sighed as her father walked away.
"You are going to go to school?" Hadji asked looking surprised.
"Yeah, I mean, I don't really want to stick around here. I know it sounds mean but some things have to stay normal, you know?"
Hadji nodded his agreement and watched as his red haired from left the room. He leaned against the wall watching his friend a while longer before deciding it was best to leave Jonny to his thoughts.
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A few days later, Dr. Quest still had not woken up from his coma. According to the doctors this was a bad sign and they told Jonny he should be prepared worst. Hearing this news only deepened Jonny's depression.
Jonny sat at his father's bedside holding his head and looking up into the face he had gotten to know so well all the fourteen years of his life.
"Dad, please wake up." Jonny pleaded with the older man. "I miss you so much. Please, open your eyes. Don't leave me."
"Jonny?"
Jonny turned around and saw Race walking towards him. As Race came closer, Jonny turned away from him.
"Jonny, can we talk? Maybe get something to eat? I know you haven't eaten in nearly two days, that isn't healthy kiddo."
"I'm not hungry."
"Jonny…" Race pleaded.
"I'm not hungry." Jonny replied firmly.
Sighing in defeat, Race drew up a chair and sat next to the young blonde.
"Jonny, what's bothering you? I know there's a lot more than just the doc being a coma eating you up. Talk to me."
Jonny sighed and squeezed his father's hand tighter. "The…the day Dad had his heart attack he came up to me that morning and asked me what I'd like for the family dinner. I told him I couldn't make it because…because I would rather be out at the arcade with my video game buddies. I'm such a jerk…" He broke out into fresh tears.
"You aren't a jerk Jonny, you were just acting your age. You had no way of knowing that this would happen. None of us did." Race said trying to console the young blonde.
"I just feel so guilty." Jonny sobbed.
"You have nothing to feel guilty about. It was just some random horrible event that happened that no one saw coming."
Jonny continued to sob while Race rubbed circles along his back. Finally, once Jonny's sobs subsided some Race spoke again.
"Are you going to come home tonight or stay here?"
"Stay here. I just want to stay here and hold his hand."
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That night, Jonny sat there staring in to the face of his father with tears silently rolling down his face.
"Dad, I don't know if you can hear me but…I'm so sorry for what I said. I know I shouldn't feel guilty but I do." He paused as a new sob rocked his body. "You're the only thing I have left. Please, please don't leave me alone. I need you Dad. Wake up…please wake up."
He buried his face in his face as he continued to cry unaware of the slight movement of his father's hand.
"J-Jonny…" came a weak voice out of the darkness.
Jonny jumped and looked up, not believing his ears. "D-dad?"
"Jonny…hold my hand." said Dr. Quest weakly.
Jonny did as his father said then called for a nurse.
Well, what did you think? This was my first fanfic in a while so I'm a little rusty. I hope you all enjoyed it (: It took me three days to write. Reviews are appreciated!
