Title: His Prodigal Son

Author: Nightshade03/sydneylover150

Rating: T for teen

Disclaimer: I am a poor grad student who is out 200 bucks she couldn't afford for eye problems. Do you honestly think I own the show or the characters?

Warning: Elliot is acting a little OC, this is on purpose though I promise. Discussion of violence and potential child abuse/neglect

A/N: I apologize for this coming at such a late hour. Between writing a grad paper and going to class, I had the pleasure of having my eyes dilated and being informed that I was having an allergic reaction. Needless to say it has been an interesting day!

This was brought up in a review earlier, yes Elliot is acting a little OC, but it is entirely on purpose. There is a reason for it, I swear. As for the other members of the "younger" crowd, take one's cue from an early Scrubs episode where everyone was trying to stop JD from being so clingy because they did want to deal with his problems any more. Again there is a reason.

Without further ado, I give you the next chapter.

Kelso was waiting for them in the doorway of Mary Magdalene's when Jordan's Mazda sped into the parking lot. Little JD ('Jennifer, it's Jennifer!' Perry's mind screamed) was happily babbling in her car seat. Jack was giggling at how crazily his father was driving. Jordan was just surprised that the cops had not pulled their car over for going twenty miles over in a fifty five mile an hour speed zone.

Dr. Cox grabbed his little girl out of her car seat and Jordan grabbed Jack. In the car they had discussed what they wanted to do with the children, not wanting any of them to have to stay at the hospital for longer than a few hours. It had been decided that Jordan would call her mother and have her come and pick Jennifer and Jack up, and Sammy if he was well enough to be released. Mrs. Sullivan would watch the kids until Jordan and Perry were able to pick them up.

Both parents walked quickly up to where Dr. Kelso was standing in the doorway. They had just reached the glass doors when Perry started to question the older doctor.

"What happened? When did JD come in?" Perry's calm demeanor was betrayed by the questions tone and by his use of his protégé's real name.

"He came in three hours ago. The EMTs had been called by an off-duty co-worker who had been passing by the area of the attack. She stopped the fight when she pulled out a bottle of pepper spray and nailed the perpetrators in the eyes." Kelso stated quickly as he walked the family to the elevator. Jordan and Jack lagged behind giving her ex and Kelso some privacy.

Dr. Cox shifted his daughter to his left shoulder. "How badly was Newbie hurt? What is the diagnosis?"

"The MRI and CAT scans of his brain came back clean, but there is still some worry that he has sustained some damage that cannot be seen." Kelso left Perry to interpret the meaning behind his words.

Dr. Cox felt his stomach tighten once more as he tried to picture his Newbie acting differently, having a different personality then the one he had come to know and begrudgingly…. God was it hard to admit…. love.

Kelso continued speaking as he watched the various emotions filter across the younger doctor's face. "The surgeons are just finishing putting the pins into Dorian's left arm. The one fracture broke skin and was extremely bad. One was a hairline and one was a spiral fracture."

Perry was glad they had reached the wall with the elevator because he needed something to lean on in case the weakness that was overtaking his legs caused them to give. He glanced back at Jordan. She met his eyes and closed her eyes in an almost imperceptible fashion. She knew it was bad.

"The surgeons have not released any of the exact problems for the fear that they would be leaked to the media before you got here." Kelso's words brought Perry's attention back to the conversation. He pressed the button to call the elevator to the first floor. "We all thought it was best that the people he is closest to find out from someone they know."

"Where is Sammy? How badly is he hurt?" Perry asked as the elevator arrived on the ground floor. His voice almost broke when he asked, "Is he going to be alright?"

'Perry's weakness has always been children. Especially those from rough circumstances.' Kelso thought to himself as he entered the elevator.

"He is in pediatrics with a sprained wrist and some bruising waiting for you to arrive. He is free to be released to your care as soon as the paper work has been filed." Kelso paused for a moment, "JD took the majority of the beating."

Perry and his daughter entered the elevator as well, but not before turning back to Jordan. He mouthed "Peds" and she nodded understanding and indicated she would follow him and Jennifer up.

As the doors closed, Dr. Cox turned back to Kelso. "Tell me the extent of Sammy's injuries and how he is doing." The younger doctor demanded.

"He has mostly bruising with a few minor contusions." Kelso stated with a touch of amusement. "His MRI, CAT scan, and x-rays came back clean. We are still waiting on the tox screen, so you'll have to wait until it comes back to find out whether you can actually take him home with you tonight."

"That's fine and dandy Bobbo," Perry replied, "But how is he doing?"

"How do you think he is doing Perry?" Kelso asked with a hint of derision. "He is scared out of his mind. His father was beaten right in front of him in order to protect him. His mother was taken to the jail to be questioned and as soon as he got to the hospital, his father was torn away from him."

Perry sighed and turned his eyes towards the elevator doors. For the rest of the way up to pediatrics he was silent. The fire in his eyes flickered. For the first time in this whole mess he had a chance to really think about what was happening. He had so many questions. Some were for JD, like why he was Sammy's godfather and not Ghandi? Why would the kid do that? Bernadette had always been attempting new and creative ways to stay in his life when he was at Sacred Heart. But the kid had been the one who had left in the end, still perhaps that was what the entire godfather thing was.

Other questions were for Miss Uro, like how she could take her own kid to a bar. Granted, he had done it once. However, he had not given his son anything, like it had appeared the Blond dimbo had. Why had she been meeting with the very men who had beat Felicity up.

Then there was Barbie. First of all where was she? She was Newbie's girlfriend, if not more by now. Why was she not here with him? Why had she hung up the phone when Kelso had called her? What right did she have to make him pick up the pieces again, while she walked away scotch clean?

Finally the elevator reached the Peds floor. For Dr. Cox it had seemed like a ride that had last an eternity without the benefit of any "ah hah" moments or greater insight into the situation. He glanced down at his daughter and could not help feeling a swell of protectiveness rise up in his chest. He would do anything for his children, as would Jordan and it seemed so would JD.

Shaking off that thought path, Perry took a deep breath, his large chest rising up, as he paused before following Kelso into the unit. He had always had problems with being in Ped's and NICU, they made his stomach hurt. Children, in his mind, never deserved to be hurt. Especially when they had done nothing to earn such pain.

Perry followed Kelso into a room decorated with teddy bears doing ballet and playing basketball. A small smile tried to make its way onto Dr. Cox's face when he thought about an older Sammy attempting to get his father how to teach him how to play basketball.

'Hopefully the kid will actually be manly and learn.' Perry thought to himself with a laugh. He pictured the same older Sammy coming to him to learn how to play basketball, while a nervous Newbie looked on. 'May be that is why the kid chose me. Nahhh'

All his positive, fun-filled thoughts left his head when he saw Sammy and was reminded of the present situation. Sammy did not look to bad physically, but there was something about his eyes that looked pained. A pain that should never be present in any child's eyes if Dr. Cox had his own way.

"When will the tox screen come back?" Perry asked quietly, staring out the child who was staring back at him and JD (Jennifer!).

"Within the next hour, I told the lab to put a rush on it." Kelso replied understanding why Cox was not looking at him. He may not be the friendliest or the most family oriented person, but he did have a son and he did care about what happened to the people he worked with; no matter how cold and indifferent he acted.

"Unk Pwwee?" Cox's attention was drawn to the voice coming from the bed. He did not even realize that Sammy was beginning to speak. Then again so was his daughter, but it always seemed like Jen was much older than Sammy.

"Yes, Sammy?" Perry asked, thinking of the many ways he was going to get Sophie back for teaching her son to call him by his first name. All the while he made sure that he did not wake his sleeping daughter, granted when she was out, she slept like the dead.

"Ddda?"

"He is here in the hospital Sammy, you'll see him when he is feeling better." Perry replied to the question. He could not help thinking that if he had not had Jack and Jennifer, he would never be able to understand his godson's questions.

"That's right Sammy." A voice called from behind Dr. Cox. He turned and saw Jordan holding Jackie's hand as she walked through the doorway. "But for right now, we are going to watch over you, is that okay?"

"Ant Jor Jor," Sammy squealed and held out his arms. Jordan looked at Kelso and Perry, who both nodded their assent. The she demon smiled gently ('now isn't that an oxymoron!'), let go of Jack's hand and lifted Sammy up. She began to rock him slowly as she sat down on the bed.

It had always amazed Perry how good his ex-wife was with children, which might explain how she tricked them into her candy house. But in all seriousness she handled children very well, just not adults.

"Mommy taking care of Auntie Joanna's son, Daddy?" Jack inquired of his father. Perry looked down at his son and nodded.

"Yes, Sammy is going to be hanging out with Jennifer and you while his Daddy is healing." He smiled at his son and tried to cover up his worry for Newbie.

Jackster nodded slowly, taking in his father's smile and reading the sadness in his eyes. "Is Aunt Joana okay Daddy?"

Jack's words set him back. He hadn't realized that Jack realized the seriousness of the situation.

"I hope so, Jack. I hope so."

TBC….