This chapter tends to deal more with Madeline and Shawn's relationship,
Chapter 8
Shawn was hesitant to call Madeline at first. He had always been one to try to figure things out for himself. He didn't really like to ask for help unless it was absolutely necessary. Sure he asked his dad for help on cases on occasion, and he asked Jules to do him favors to help with cases but this was different. This was like admitting there was something he couldn't deal with on his own, and he didn't really want to ask his mom for help because since he found out that she had initiated the divorce and it wasn't his dad's fault, like he thought he knew for so many years, he had begun to feel a bit of resentment for her. He was trying to mend the relationship he had with his father, though it was taking a while, it was happening in baby steps, tiny, microscopic baby steps, but he was getting there. Shawn looked down at the phone. He knew he had to make the call, he just really didn't want to. Finally he admitted defeat and dialed her number.
Shawn waited, one ring, two rings, and then she answered
"Mom?"
"Hey goose! How are you?" his mom asked
"I'm fine mom, how about you?" he said
"I'm fine goose, so what did you want to talk about?"
Shawn took a deep breath and said
"Well mom, the truth is...I'm not fine, I mean I am attractive but I'm not fine" Shawn joked
Madeline laughed but she knew Shawn was playing down what was really wrong
"Goose, what is really going on?"
Shawn said "Okay mom, you got me, I'm not doing so hot, it's nothing serious it's just...I can't sleep"
"Goose, your dad told me what happened, I am so sorry, are you okay?"
" Well mom, let me break it down for you, I have nightmares every night, nightmares that are so real I can literally feel everything all over again, I wake up drenched in sweat, screaming for help and in pain because it feels like I'm being shot again every night...so yeah other than that I'm fine."
"Oh goose, I'm so sorry, how long has this been going on?"
"Since it happened so like...a week now, every night it's the same thing, what am I supposed to do mom? I hear something that even reminds me of what happened and I freak, dad said "it's over" trying to tell me the nightmare was over and I flashed back to when the killer was pointing a gun in my face threatening to kill me because I had used the phone, he said "it's over" and I thought he was going to shoot me" "What is wrong with me?"
Madeline was shocked but she didn't say anything to upset Shawn, she remained professional
"Goose, nothing is wrong with you, people go through this sort of thing all the time, it doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with you, it's just...going to take time to get over, you know? You don't go through something like that and not have it change you."
"Well like how much time are we talking here mom? I mean minutes, hours, days, I'd prefer minutes, they're shorter and less time consuming" Shawn joked again trying to change the mood of the conversation."
She laughed a bit and then returned to the seriousness of the conversation
"Goose, have you thought about seeing a therapist?"
Shawn laughed and said "Well yeah mom, you are a therapist are you not?"
"Well yes goose but I can only help you so much, what with all the traveling I do for work"
His heart sank, his mom was always jet setting across the state for her work, he always thought maybe it was in some way his fault for the divorce, but he decided he'd blame his father instead. Madeline had left when Shawn was a senior in high school so she thought it wouldn't really matter to him that much, she had no idea it would change who he was forever by her walking out that door. Looking back she regretted not telling Shawn the truth earlier, she could have helped Shawn and Henry salvage their relationship, instead of destroying it.
Madeline paused and thought for a second "No, I can be there for him when he needs me and this time I won't leave him"
"Mom, you still there?" Shawn asked because his mother was silent on the other end of the phone.
"Yeah goose, I'm here...I'll do it" "I think I can help you with this, but if it doesn't work promise you won't give up, therapy takes time and you don't exactly have the best track record for patience."
"What do you mean? I'm patient!"
"Goose, need I remind you of the time you wanted to learn how to play piano, after three lessons you quit, and the time you wanted to learn how to do magic tricks, you quit after you couldn't make a rabbit appear out of the hat. I'm not splitting hair goose I'm just saying, you set your goals too high and you gave up too easily and I don't want you to start something you're not going to finish."
Shawn was annoyed "For the record, Piano was boring and magic tricks are not as easy as Lance Burton made them out to be. Besides this is not something I can quit mom, it's ruining my life, I have to get past this, and I...I can't do it without your help. So will you do it?"
"Okay goose, for you I will, we will meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 8 o'clock in the morning where I do the Psych evaluations for the SBPD, deal?"
"Deal"
"Thanks mom, I...I really needed you for this"
"You're welcome, I love you goose, I'll talk to you later okay?"
"Okay mom, love you too" "Bye" End of Chapter 8
Chapter End Notes:
Please leave comments and if you have any suggestions please don't hesitate to post them. I'm open to any ideas you guys have, thanks for reading and Chapter 9 is just around the corner
