A/N: See I didn't leave you waiting for too long did I? :D Thank you guys so much for the reviews, they really do make my day!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and no copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 4
Mark awoke feeling extremely groggy and sore. He could tell he wasn't lying on his own bed and guessed it was a hospital biobed. Opening his eyes confirmed his guess. The room was small and dimly lit and the atmosphere was quiet, mostly likely because it was late at night. Looking to his right Mark saw his grandfather asleep in what had to be an uncomfortable chair.
The lights brightened and Mark squinted his eyes as a nurse walked into the room. She smiled at him and proceeded to take his vitals.
"The nurse's station notified me that you were awake. How are you feeling?" She spoke softly so as not to wake his grandfather.
"Groggy, sore. Can I have something to drink?" Mark's voice was rough. The nurse handed him a small cup of ice chips.
"Take it slow, let one melt in your mouth and swallow. I'll notify the doctor that you're awake and she should be in soon to check on you."
Mark nodded his understanding and the nurse left. The water was a welcome relief to his parched throat. Soon his fatigue set in and Mark fell back to sleep.
A soothing voice roused him from his slumber and Mark opened his eyes to a beautiful woman with warm eyes and dark hair. She smiled at him and held out her hand.
"Hello Mark, I'm Dr. Elizabeth Shannon. How are you feeling? Better I hope."
Mark took her hand and shook it. His memory was a little fuzzy, he remembered the attack but not much else afterwards.
"I'm tired and sore but better than I was . . . uh, how long have I been out?"
"You were brought in this afternoon by a couple who found you near an alley. We rushed you into surgery to stop the bleeding. You were stabbed in your lower back but luckily you were close to the hospital so we were able to fix everything before it got too serious. We also stitched up your chin but I'm afraid there will be a small scar there. The swelling and bruises should go away in a few days."
Mark was relieved to know he hadn't been out for too long. He was also relieved that there wasn't any permanent damage. It was then that he noticed a small pair of eyes staring at him from around Dr. Shannon's legs. A little girl, about nine or so, was staring at him shyly, holding onto her mother's lab coat. Elizabeth noticed Mark staring and smiled, putting a hand on the little girl's back, pushing her forward.
"I'm sorry, this is my little girl, Madelyn. She really likes science so every day after school she visits me here at the hospital. Say hello Maddy." The little girl smiled and gave a small wave before hiding behind her mother again. Mark smiled back and said 'hi.' He figured his face probably frightened her with all the cuts, bruises, and swelling. Dr. Shannon smiled at the little exchange.
She put a gentle hand on George Reynold's shoulder to wake him. He woke with a start but as soon as he saw Mark was awake he relaxed and looked at Dr. Shannon.
"I will be releasing Mark from the hospital in the morning. He will need to take it easy for the next week but he should be able to go to school after tomorrow. I will give him a prescription for the pain." She turned to Mark, "Mark, the police will want to know what happened and are waiting downstairs to talk to you whenever you're ready."
Mark swallowed, "You can send them up Dr. Shannon. I'm ready."
Dr. Shannon gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and a smile then she and her little girl left. Within a few minutes a couple of officers knocked on the door and entered. They introduced themselves and sat down, taking out plexes to take notes on.
"Can you tell us who did this to you?"
Mark nodded and began his story, telling the men about Alex and his friends and how they liked to torture him at school. He told them about the ambush and that he didn't know who exactly had stabbed him but he did know the names of everyone involved. The cops listened intently, taking as many notes as possible and asking questions. When they got everything they needed they tipped their hats and left.
Mark looked at his grandfather who scooted his chair closer to the bed. Mark didn't have much hope that his statement would do anything – those guys would protect each other and make up alibis and probably get off scot free. He shared these thoughts with his grandfather who sighed with resignation.
"If that happens, we'll get through it. No matter what, okay? We'll figure something out."
Mark nodded and lay back down to rest. Soon enough he'd be sixteen and old enough to join the military with his grandfather's consent. He just held onto the hope that he'd make it.
-A Few Weeks Later-
Alex and his gang did exactly what Mark thought they would – protect each other. Unfortunately they weren't all the bright. The knife they used was found by the cops in the alley when they investigated the scene– it had Mark's blood and Alex's prints. Alex refused to go down alone and brought his 'friends' down with him. They were expelled from school and sent to a disciplinary school for troubled boys. Mark could only hope they got the help they obviously needed. Their families were also made to pay Mark's medical bills from the attack and that was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He and his grandfather had no idea how they were going to pay but everything turned out okay in the end.
His birthday was in a few days. He had already picked up the paperwork he needed to fill out to apply for the military and was almost finished with it. His grandfather promised to sign it on his birthday as a gift to his grandson. Mark could hardly wait; he was so close to fulfilling his dream. He could hardly keep a grin off his face these days.
A/N: Well, there ya go! No cliffy this time either! Probably only one or two chapters left to this story. Yes, the bullies did go to court and Mark testified, blah, blah, blah. I know I breezed through that part but I didn't figure writing the entire court process would be all that entertaining so I just highlighted the key points :-)
Did you like my little surprise? I hope you did. Review?
-Silver
