Walker's Residence
The pain that shot up from his knee was intense enough to keep Walker completely immobile on the sofa. He had grabbed an ice pack from the freezer as he turned the oven off, but it quickly warmed up. He knew his knee was broken, which meant another surgery. He glanced down to see deep purple bruising all around his knee cap which has swelled immensely over the last thirty minutes. Wonder when Alex will arrive home?
He gently touched his nose which had clogged up with blood. "Cooper, what did you get yourself into?" He winced as his knee began to throb sending wave after wave of pain up his leg. His cell phone rang and he let out a groan. It was on the table by the front door. "Great."
Ever so slowly he got up off the sofa, grimacing as the movement made his knee to throb even more. He limped towards his phone irritated that he had left it on. Once he got there he grabbed the phone, checked the number and was rather surprised to see it was his son.
Quickly he pushed the talk button. "Cooper, is everything okay?"
"Dad, I screwed up." His son's voice was laced with pain and it sounded as though he was crying. "I got myself into something I don't know how to get out of."
Walker pushed the pain aside as he grabbed his keys. "Where are you at right now?"
"I'm at Go Stop on Haven." His son coughed a few times. "Dad, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"I'll be right there. Don't you worry, everything will be okay."
Cooper let out a few sniffles. "But your knee. Can you drive?"
"Don't worry about me." Walker's voice was soft and reassuring. "I'll come pick you up."
Go Stop Several Blocks Away
After he hung up the phone Cooper collapsed to the ground, the pain in his chest making it hard for him to breath. The last time he was beaten like that was when he was nine years old and a hostage to several gang members. As Goonie slammed his fist over and over again into his body, flashes of what had happened to him as a kid kept going through his mind. It made him face his fears head on and the shell he had built up over the years came crashing down. And all he wanted right now was his father and mother.
He gingerly touched his nose which was clearly broken and clogged with blood. "Man, what did I get myself into?" He shook his head as he drew his knees to his aching chest. "How could I have been so stupid?"
It was three years ago when he got himself involved in Streck's theft ring, he was only fourteen. He felt as though he finally found a group of people that understood him, that truly excepted who he was and not as Ranger Walker's son. He had made several friends, at least he thought they were his friends. Now, he didn't know. What would Brett and Nate say about what happened to him tonight? Would they stick by his side or run away like so many others?
He began to cry softly as the child in him wanted his father's warm embrace. For eight years he never allowed himself to show weakness to any one, especially his father. His father took pride in the fact at age nine Cooper was able to put the horrible beating and torture behind him. That caused much resentment between the two of them. His father didn't deserve the treatment that Cooper gave him. He was just trying to raise his son as rightly as he could.
Time passed slowly and Cooper began to wonder where his father was. The old anger began to rise up inside him, which began to cloud his judgment. What was he thinking calling his dad like that? He isn't going to come and rescue him from his mistake. He always let Cooper learn the hard way, hardly ever meddling in his affairs.
"Hope you still like Coke." Came a calm, reassuring voice in front of him.
Cooper glanced up to see his father smiling down at him with a twenty ounce bottle of pop in his hands. "Dad, you came. But why?"
His dad offered Cooper his free hand. "You're my son. Why wouldn't I come?"
This look, he has never seen his father with this gentle demeanor before. Then his eyes caught site of the large cut on his dad's left cheek which had bruising all around it. Must have been when they had hit him with the chain. His father's nose was also quite swollen and caked with blood. This just made Cooper tear up even more. He was the one that did this to his father.
"We look like a sorry pair." His father smiled as he pulled Cooper to his feet. "Let's get to the truck." But as his dad attempted to turn around he nearly fell, his hands grabbing his knee. He took a few deep breaths then straightened up. "Let's go to the hospital."
Cooper shoved the pop bottle into his hoody front pocket then wrapped his arm around his father's thin waist. "Let me help you."
As they got to Walker's pickup the pain in his knee intensified so much he nearly fell to the ground. If it wasn't for his son he just might have. Cooper very carefully helped him inside, making sure Walker's knee didn't get bumped around too much. Then he closed the door and ran to the driver's side.
Walker leaned his head back into the chair's headrest, his mind trying so hard to ignore the pain that radiated from his knee. He turned to his son who glanced back at him with the same eyes as his. It was amazing how Cooper took after him in looks. Poor kid. He gave his son a smile then patted his shoulder.
"Hang on, dad." He put the truck in gear then began to drive forward. "I just hope we don't get pulled over." His shoulders slumped. "I shot up tonight." Cooper rubbed the wheel. "Dad, I know now isn't the time, but I've taken heroin."
Walker's heart sank, his whole world seemed to collapse on itself. Though he had a strong suspicion, just hearing the truth from his son brought it all home. No wonder his Kickstart programming was failing. He couldn't even keep track of his own son. So, inside the restaurant Cooper was indeed high. What did I do? Where did I go wrong?
From the corner of his right eye he saw his father's shoulders slump forward. He glanced over to see his dad staring at his hands, his eyes vacant. This was a look he has grown to see in his father and it really irritated him. Why did his father always clam up? Why couldn't he just talk things through? Maybe if he did, maybe just maybe their marriage wouldn't be on the rocks.
He took a deep breath. "Dad, I promise I'll get clean." He grabbed his father's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "I just need your help."
His father glanced at him then slowly nodded. "Definitely."
The ride to the hospital was rather quiet, however Walker's mind was not. Through the pain he couldn't help but think about his son and the decisions he had made in his life. He glanced at Cooper to see his son wiping his face then wring his hands around the steering wheel. Wonder when he shot up last? If a few hours ago, his son was going down and heroin had killer withdrawal. That was the reason why most got addicted.
"It's not water, but you need to get something in you." Walker then remembered he kept a few bottles of water under the seats of the truck for emergencies. As quick as he could he reached down, snagged a bottle then handed it to his son. "Drink this."
Cooper eagerly grabbed the water then chugged it down. "I hate the feeling, but I can't stop." He turned to Walker with vacant eyes. "As soon as I walk in there, they're going to arrest me. They're not going to give me a chance."
"When did you shoot up last?" Walker couldn't believe he just asked his son that question.
"Two hours ago." Cooper merged into the right lane. "Man, I really messed up."
Walker could hear the anger in his son's voice and reached out to pat his hand. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you…"
"That's the problem, you were! I just was too stubborn to listen." His dad began to laugh. "What's so funny? This is a serious situation!"
"You've got my stubborn pride." Walker couldn't believe how much his son really took after him, it made his heart swell up with sorrow at his son's current situation. "Don't worry about getting caught. I'll talk to my lawyer and Alex. Surely, we can work something out for you."
Cooper slowly nodded his head. "Thanks." He glanced left then right while merging into the exit lane. "We're almost there."
Once at the hospital Cooper pulled the truck up to the emergency entrance, told his dad not to move then got out. He raced towards the doors then through them without stopping. He sprinted down the short hall, desperately trying to eye any doctor or nurse. Finally after what seemed like several minutes of searching he found a nurse with a clipboard.
She quickly put her clipboard down and rushed to him. "Sir, are you okay?"
He waved towards the emergency room entrance. "Yeah, it's my dad! He's hurt bad, it's his knee! I think it's broken!"
A doctor ran up to him, worry written all over his face. "Okay, where's he at?"
Cooper frantically pointed behind him. "He's in the truck, he can't walk." The doctor began to study his face. "Not me! My dad! It's my dad!" He couldn't believe this man and his frustration was beginning to rise. The nurse who had gotten a wheelchair appeared at his left and tried to have him sit down. "Oh for… come on! My dad is Ranger Walker!"
This got the doctor's attention. "You're his son?" He shook his head. "Right." He spun around and snapped his fingers at two male nurses. "Follow him."
Quickly Cooper made his way down the hall, through the doors and to his father's truck. There he pulled open the passenger side door where his father sat breathing heavily, most likely from pain. Man, what did they do to him? If he didn't get involved with Streck his father wouldn't be here right now. He moved aside as the male nurses stepped up to his father then helped him into the wheelchair.
Walker felt somebody sit him down into a chair then very carefully raise his right knee till it was sticking straight out. He gripped the wheelchair arms as wave after intense wave of pain shot up his leg. Slowly he opened his eyes to see he was being wheeled through the ER straight towards a room. As the nurses wheeled him in he attempted to get up, but was gently forced down by a doctor.
"I got it, Mr. Walker." Said a young male nurse. "I'll get him under his arms, you, carefully get his legs. Watch out for the right knee."
"Right." Another male nurse gently took hold of Walker's legs then carried him to a bed where they carefully laid him down. "You're in good hands, Mr. Walker. We'll take good care of you and your son."
A doctor appeared at Walker's right side and smiled down at him. "What happened?" He snapped on some gloves and began to check Walker's broken nose then the cut on his left cheek which began to swell. "I need to suck out the blood in your nose."
"I got into a little fight." Walker winced as somebody began to touch his knee then he had to grip the bed sheets as the pain increased. "How's my son?"
"He's doing fine." The doctor went to check Walker's knee. "I see you've had surgery on this before." He gently began to touch the joint which got a loud hiss out of Walker's mouth. "Okay, I need some film for this knee and for the nose. Unfortunately, we might have to do surgery. Your knee may never be the same again."
Walker slowly nodded. "I understand." He let out a sigh as someone injected pain medication in his right arm. "Just take care of my son."
In the other ER room Cooper laid on a hospital bed as a doctor gently pressed against his sore chest. He was getting down on his heroin fix which meant he could feel anything and everything. The doctor nodded his head then began to check Cooper's arms. Once the doctor saw his right arm he sighed heavily then went to a small table with gauze and other suturing products.
"I want the honest truth, how many times have you shot up?" The doctor sat down on a stool as he grabbed a small tube. "I'm going to suck out the blood from your nose before I set it."
Cooper gave a nod. "Okay." He waited as the doctor sucked out the blood from his nose before he answered the question. "I've only shot up five times, both with heroin."
The doctor shook his head in disbelief. "I told you, I want an honest answer."
"I gave you an honest answer!" Cooper tried to sit up, but a police officer walking into the room quickly stopped him. "Listen that stuff is messed up. I only do it if I'm really bored. It's never really truly effected me, never understood why."
"You're one lucky fool." The officer said as he walked up to Cooper's side. "Do you want me to cuff him to the bed bars?"
"What!" Cooper quickly sat up, ignoring the pain in his chest. "Get my dad! Dad! Dad!"
The doctor shook his head. "No, he's just a kid." He smiled at Cooper. "Don't worry, son." His face suddenly turned into one of understanding. "I remember you now. I took care of you when you first came in eight years ago. Cooper, don't worry. I'll take care of you."