Chapter 8

"Your son is the one who hit my son?" Niles asks angrily.

John nods his head.

"Yes, he is. We have been having a lot of problems with him the past several months, we have sent him to counseling but he won't stick to it. We just don't know what to do with him anymore and we wanted to come and let you know how sorry we are. If there is anything we can do for you and your family to make up for what our son has done, just ask."

Niles just looks at John, his anger still evident.

"My son is paralyzed, he can't walk. Can you somehow perform a miracle and give him the feeling back in his legs? My son may never walk again!"

"I understand that Dr. Crane, that's why we're here. We want to do whatever we can to make up for what our son has done. There are no words to say how sorry we are for what has happened."

Daphne approaches Niles and puts her hand on his shoulder to try to calm him down.

"Niles, why don't you go take a walk outside or something while I talk to these people. You need to cool off."

Niles looks over at Daphne and nods.

"You're probably right, Daphne. I need to blow off some steam, I will be back in about 20 minutes."

Daphne nods.

"All right then."

Emily stands up and joins her father.

"I'll go with you, daddy and keep you company."

Niles nods as he and Emily leave the room.

"I'm Daphne, David's mother." she says to John and Amy.

Amy approaches Daphne.

"Mrs. Crane, I just want to tell you that my husband and I are willing to do anything to make up for what our son has done."

"I know you are, you have to understand that my husband is a very sensitive person and he takes things harder than most people. But he is right in the fact that our son may never walk again. He played sports, and now he may never play again. He may never get to fulfill his dreams of becoming a star basketball player or football player, if that's what he wanted. Your son took that from him, you understand?"

John and Amy both nod as they give Daphne a sympathetic look.

Their conversation is interrupted by the doctor coming in to give David a shot of morphine. He sees John and Amy and gives Daphne a questioning look; silently asking her who they are.

Daphne answers him.

"Doctor, these people are the parent's of the boy who hit David. They are here to do whatever they can to make up for what their son did."

The doctor nods as he starts to give David the injection, but before he can David stops him.

"I want to say something first, doctor." he says as he looks at John and Amy.

"You know what you can do to try to make it up to me? Why don't you bring your son here, so I can speak to him personally and let him know what he's done. Maybe then he will realize how stupid he was to drink and then get behind the wheel of a vehicle. I almost died and your son would be a murderer if I hadn't lived. He's very lucky that I did. So you need to leave here, go to the jail, pick up your son, and bring him here to me. Okay?"

With that David looks at the doctor to give him the okay to give him the morphine. The doctor does what he is told as he injects David's IV with the morphine.

"You should start to feel some relief from the pain very soon, David."

David nods.

"Thank you, doctor."

The doctor nods as he glances at Daphne then at John and Amy before leaving the room.

Daphne then turns her attention back to John and Amy.

"Did you hear what my son said? Go pick up your son and bring him here so my son can talk to him. Ca n you do that?"

John and Amy both nod.

"Yes, we can do that. We will be back soon with our son." John says as he and his wife head for the door.

Once they are gone, Daphne approaches her son and grabs his hand.

David looks up at his mother and smiles.

"Thanks, mum."

Daphne smiles back.

"Thanks for what, sweetie?"

"For just being here and being such a great mother. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You're my son, and I love you. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you." Daphne replies with tears in her eyes.

Ashling excuses herself to get a diet soda and drags Alice along with her.

Roz speaks up.

"Daphne, Donny and I are going to step out to get a bite to eat. We can take Ashling along with us to keep Alice company."

Daphne looks over at Roz.

"That would be fine, Roz. Thank you for coming and for being here."

"No problem, you know how much you all mean to me. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you." Roz explains.

Donny joins her as he takes her hand in his and leads her out as he waves at at Daphne and David. Daphne looks around the room.

"I wonder where your Grammy Ronee went? I didn't see her leave."

David shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't know, she may have stepped out when John and Amy were here."

"Yes, that's true; she may have."

Daphne sits down in the chair next to David's bed and continues holding his hand. She sees the morphine beginning to work as David gives a big yawn.

"Why don't you take a nap, David. I will be right here if you need anything."

David nods as he closes his eyes.

Meanwhile...

Niles and Emily are walking the halls of the hospital side by side. Niles is being very quiet as Emily keeps looking up at him trying to read his expression. She can't tell what he's thinking; if he's angry, sad or frustrated. He just has a faraway look in his eyes as he continues to walk down the hallway.

Emily decides to get his attention.

"Daddy?"

Niles stops walking for a moment and then looks down at Emily with a look of confusion.

"Are you okay, daddy?" Emily asks.

"I'm sorry Emily, I'm just thinking. I didn't handle myself very well back there with those people did I?"

Well, daddy their son did hit David and leave him paralyzed, how else were you supposed to react to seeing them? I'm angry too with what happened to David. It's not fair and someone needs to pay for what they did to him."

"You're right, Emily. But there is a wrong way and a right way to handle it. I would prefer to handle it the right way. I'm glad your mother suggested I take a walk, who knows what I would have done had I stayed there. I've never been that angry at anyone in my life."

"I've never seen you that angry before, daddy. It scared me a little bit."

"I'm sorry it scared you, sweetheart. I never want to do anything that would scare you or cause you harm."

"I know." Emily says with a smile as she takes her father's hand in hers. They continue walking as they head back to David's room.

To be continued...