Chapter 3:
The weary group went home to do as the doctor ordered. The next day the first person back at the hospital was Juliet she was glad to see that Shawn had a quiet night. She sat next to the unconscious detective and began to fill him in on the apology that the group received from his father. She told him how surprised she was that Henry would think about apologizing period much less to them, she figured that he must be genuinely sorry for what he had said and how he behaved.
She filled Shawn in on Lassiter's actions too. She said that he was so upset after the ambulance brought you here that he went back to the station and decked your father. She snickered and said "Your Dad has a nasty black eye now thanks to Lassiter". She went on to tell him about his prognosis and how much she needed him to wake up.
Shawn never showed any signs of life while Juliet spoke and he just laid there completely still, the constant beep of the heart monitor the only thing she had to assure her that he was still with them. Shawn lying still is almost as unnerving as the sight of all his injuries she thought. Juliet sat for a time in silence staring at every feature on Shawn's face; in a way she was taking mental pictures of his features so if the worst happened she would never forget.
She looked at the four colors of hair that made up his eyebrows all in varying shades of blonde. She smiled when she noticed the small scar on his lip from a childhood operation. She felt the tiny patch of soft hair that he had on his ear lobe. He never realized that patch of hair was there but she found it one night and loved to play with it. She noticed the way his hands were rough and weathered from riding his bike and spending years working odd jobs with his hands. She studied the unconscious man like she would study for a test.
When she was done with the mental checklist of Shawn's features she kissed his forehead and told him that she would be back latter, she wanted to make sure the paper work was done right on his accident.
Juliet got to the office and immediately spotted her partner and the Chief but Henry's desk was empty. He was supposed to work today she thought? Chief saw her and waved her and Lassiter into her office. "How is Mr. Spencer doing today?" asked the chief. Juliet shrugged her shoulders, weakly smiled and said "about the same".
Chief Vick frowned and told the two that she was hoping to hear a better report than that. She then went on to ask the two detectives to go and check on Henry Spencer. Chief said that she had tried to call all morning but there was no answer at his home and she was worried about the old man.
The Detective team sighed and set out to complete their assigned task. They arrived at Henry's home and saw that his truck was in the driveway. They knocked on the door but no one answered. They went searching around the house thinking that maybe he was in his garden or something. They went around back and Juliet saw through the kitchen window the elder Spencer passed out on the kitchen floor with blood on his forehead. "Oh my God" whispered Juliet and then she yelled for Carlton to join her. When he got to the side of the house she was at she just nervously pointed to the unconscious figure on the kitchen floor?
"Oh sweet lady Justice he didn't" murmured Lassiter as he kicked in the back door of the home. He raced to the passed out father on the floor and felt for a pulse. Thankfully there was a pulse strong and steady. The wound on his forehead turned out to be superficial he probably got it when he passed out. The two looked around the room and noticed the floor was littered with empty liquor bottles.
Lassiter let out a whistle as he saw the bottles that littered the floor. Henry had not just been drinking beer there were empty vodka and whisky bottle on the coffee table and there was an unmarked bottle of what looked like home brewed stuff empty next to Henry. The place reeked of alchahol.
The two detectives managed to get Henry to the couch, Juliet started to brew some coffee and Lassiter tried to wake him up. Nothing the two did was going to wake the seriously inebriated man from his fuge. It was getting late and Juliet really wanted to swing by the hospital one more time before visiting hours were over so Lassiter begrudgingly offered to watch over Henry while she was gone and make sure he didn't hurt himself or drink any more.
Juliet walked into Shawn's room at the hospital and was greeted by Shawn's smiling hazel eyes. She ran over to his bed and grabbed up his hand. "You are awake! I am so glad to see your sweet eyes!"
Shawn was not only awake but he was also off the breathing tube, he still had a nasal cannula but he could speak to them now. His voice was slurred and it took a lot of effort to speak but the first words out of his mouth were "Dad?" he finished the sentence with his eyes. He looked so worried about his Dad. He was hoping to wake up to him sitting next to his bed like so many times before but when he woke up no one was there.
Juliet reminded him that him and his Dad had a really bad fight, worse then they had ever witnessed. She told him " Your Dad had come to see him the night before and he apologized for saying the things that he did to you and when he did you had a massive seizure.
So your Dad decided you were better off without him here and he went home and proceeded to drink himself into unconsciousness. Lassiter and I found him before I came here tonight. Lassiter is sitting with him till he wakes up and sobers up a little".
Shawn's eyes began to tear up as he heard the news about his Dad and all that had happened. He smacked at Juliet's phone and managed to utter the word "call". She was lost for a second she said, " I don't understand what you want me to do? Who do you want me to call?" Shawn getting visibly frustrated at the difficulty he was having speaking managed to say "Papa Bear"
Juliet smiled at her sweet boyfriend lying in the bed. He was so sweet and loving he was so hurt and sick but he could only think about his Dad. She obediently began to dial Lassiter not knowing if Henry would have woken up yet.
Lassiter answered the phone in his usual gruff way and Juliet asked how Henry was doing. Lassiter huffed at the sight of the hung over gentleman now awake but trying to get a hold of all his faculties. He said "He is awake but only barely" Juliet asked if he could hand Henry the phone, Lassiter said okay whatever, thinking that it was now Juliet's turn to holler at her boyfriends Dad. Lassiter handed Henry the phone and he said hello, Juliet told him to hold on she had a message for him that he would want to hear.
She held the phone up to Shawn's face and Shawn was able to say "Luv you Dad, I forgive you". When Juliet brought the phone back to her ear she heard Henry sobbing on the other end. He told her that they would be up there in just a few minutes.
Lassiter dove Henry to the hospital in what seemed like record time. Henry came into his Sons room and he was greeted with two smiling green eyes. He was awake! Henry was so overwhelmed he went to his son and held him in a hug and the two didn't utter a word but volumes were shared between the two men.
The doctor came in shortly after his Dad made it to the hospital and gave everyone an update on Shawn's condition. He told them, first the good news, as expected his legs were still okay they will be cast for several months but they will heal, his cat scan that morning showed everything in his abdomen healing well and the best news the swelling in his brain was going down, he cautioned that it was far from gone but it was heading in the right direction.
His Dad was glad to hear that news but he cautiously asked the Doctor "Okay that is good news now what about the bad news." Well the Doctor began it looks like Shawn had a massive stroke last night which is what is effecting his speech and we aren't sure what other damage was done.
Shawn's eyes now looked sad. He was alive but at what cost? His Dad noticing the look on his face told his only son "We have you back with us that is all I care about. We can work through any issues as long as we have you here with us." Juliet was quick to agree with his Dad and went on to tell him " I will love you till the day I die no matter what you got that mister" Shawn smiled the two members of his cheerleading squad, they were the most important people in his world and if they were with him then he was ready to fight. He looked at Lassie in the corner of the room and shot him this lost puppy dog look trying to get some encouragement from the grouse detective but instead he said "I am thrilled for one at the thought of you not being able to speak so much, maybe finally I will get a word in edge wise on cases" he crossed his arms and leaned into the corner and when no one was looking he winked in approval at Shawn and Shawn just smiled.