Chapter 10
By: MysticFantasy
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"Jack?" he asked softly.
"Guess I kinda reverted back to the way I was before." Jack muttered as his fingers tightened around the journal that was now on his lap. "I didn't know any of you and I didn't trust you either."
"Wasn't your fault though Jackie." Bobby said kneeling in front of his baby brother. "You were pretty mistreated before mom found you. And now...well the shock of what happened is what they say caused you to forget everything. Like you didn't want to believe it happened and your brain made it seem like it. It just went a little too far."
"But I must be getting better since I'm trusting you again and I'm remembering a little bit of things." Jack said.
"I think you are doin' better Jack." Bobby said with a faint smile. "Are you gonna wanna keep reading your journal?"
"Maybe a little bit. Maybe something in here will make me remember other things. But I won't read before the day that mom brought me home. I know I won't be able to handle that."
"Ok. Want us to stay home?"
"You guys can go if you want. Can I stay though?"
"Yeah. You can." Bobby answered. "We'll still be here for a while so just shout if you need something. Ok?"
Jack nodded and felt Bobby give him a quick hug.
"We're here for you Jackie. We always will be."
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"We're staying." Bobby announced walking into the living room.
"What happened? Something wrong with Jack?" Jerry asked in a concerned voice.
"He found his old journal and started reading it." Bobby answered.
"Oh d**n. I forgot about that thing." Angel muttered.
"I did too." Bobby said. "We're staying home because I think he's going to be a little emotional."
"You didn't take it away from him?" Jerry demanded.
"It's his choice if he wants to read it Jerry." Bobby replied. "It's the only thing he has from before he became our brother. He knows the state he's in and he's aware of what'll happen if he reads that journal."
"I don't know man." Angel said. "We know how he can get but Jack doesn't."
"Well, if anything, that journal may remind him of at least that much."
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Sept 4
It was my birthday yesterday. Just like last year, I was in the hospital and no one remembered.
I'm leaving the hospital today and I'm going to be living with the Ms. Evelyn lady. I got to meet her. She's really nice and I know she's not pretending.
She told me about her kids.
I didn't talk to her because I'm still scared that she might be like the last lady who let me live with her. What if her kids beat me up like all of the others? What if they tie me up and lock me in the closet again? Or leave me outside when it's raining?
Ms. Evelyn said that her kids will be nice to me. But what if she's lying?
Sept 5
Ms. Evelyn brought me to her house. I met Jerry and Angel. She said that Bobby was playing hockey so he won't be here for a while but she showed me a picture of him23.
I don't like him. He looks mean.
Jerry seemed nice but he's really quiet.
Angel looks like he doesn't want me around already.
I wish I go back to the orphanage. I don't like being around Jerry and Angel.
I know they're gonna be mean to me. Just like everyone else.
Jack turned to a page that was dated a month later.
October 15
Ms. Evelyn said that Bobby is coming tomorrow. She said she asked him to come back when his hockey was done so he could meet me and help me.
I don't want to meet him.
October 16
Bobby's here. He's big and loud.
He looked at me and he looked angry. I thought he was going to hit me right away.
But he didn't. He said hi to me and that he was glad to meet me. He said Ms. Evelyn told him about me.
I didn't talk to him and I know that it made him mad. I know that he's going to beat me up as soon as Ms. Evelyn leaves.
November 21
Bobby took me to learn to skate today. He said that I did good but that I need work. He's been nice to me but he's still loud. I don't like loud.
He wrestles with Jerry and Angel and asks if I want to play. But Ms. Evelyn tells him that I'm still too little. I think she knows I don't want to. I don't like fighting. Bobby knows.
He said I need to grow some.
Grow what?
Jack lowered the journal and lightly sighed.
"I really didn't trust any of them." he muttered to himself. "I basically thought my brother's were monsters."
He flipped through three pages and saw that there was only one entry on one page.
March 7
Ms. Evelyn said she's gonna adopt me.
Jack slowly shut the journal.
He heard light footsteps and soon saw his mother standing in the doorway to his room with a concerned look on her face.
"Jackie? Are you alright sweetheart?" she asked softly.
"I'm fine." Jack answered.
Evelyn quietly sat next to Jack. "Bobby told me you found your old journal."
Jack held up the small red book.
"I read how I didn't trust you at first. Or the guys."
"That was a long time ago. You were scared that we were going to be exactly like the people who had caused you so much pain. But you began to trust us. Then when you became my son you changed. I was so happy to see you warming up to us. Seeing you like this reminds me so much of when I first saw you. But you're still my little boy and you always will be no matter what. And I'll always love you Jackie."
Jack smiled and felt Evelyn press a light kiss to his forehead.
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"Let's shave some ice ladies!" Bobby exclaimed jumping onto the ice. "Jackie, you sure you wanna try this?"
"Yes." Jack answered hanging onto the edge of the wall. "I want to remember this."
"Are you sure though? Think your knees are strong enough to try skating?" Jerry asked standing next to Jack and checking to see if the knee braces on his younger brother were on correctly.
"Only one way to find out." Jack answered looking at the ice a bit nervously.
"Alright." Jerry said. "Hang onto me for a while though. You might need to get your balance back."
Jack nodded as he and Jerry grabbed each others wrists. Carefully, he stepped onto the ice and felt his legs shake a bit.
"You got it Jack?" Bobby asked gliding over.
"Think so." Jack answered carefully pushing himself across the ice in a sort of walking manner with Bobby and Jerry staying right next to him.
"This isn't so bad." the youngest said.
"Probably that memory from feel kinda thing." Jerry suggested.
"Still, doing pretty good for not skating in a while." Bobby said. "Think you'd be up for a pick up game Jackie?"
"I don't think I'm ready for that." Jack said with a smirk.
Bobby chuckled as they came to the curve. Like a hawk, Bobby kept a close eye on Jack as he slowed himself even more and did baby steps until they got out of the curve.
"Well, it seems like you've still got your balance." Bobby said skating backward and staying in front of the two.
"That's good to know." Jack said. "How good was I before?"
"Pretty good." Jerry answered. "You were pretty quick and that's what helped us win most of the games. You even surpassed Bobby in speed."
"Out of luck." Bobby quickly stated. "He's skinner so he's not weighed down as much."
"Maybe if you put your a** on a diet you could lose that weight you gained from being out of the league." Jerry stated with a grin as they came back to the rink entrance.
"You calling me fat Jerry?" Bobby asked with a light glare to his brother.
"No, I'm just saying that you put on a few pounds since your hockey days." Jerry answered smartly as Jack tried to hold back his laughter.
"You're calling me fat." Bobby insisted as Jack stepped off the ice.
The second that Jack was off the ice and out of Jerry's grasp, Bobby charged at Jerry and easily, but playfully, knocked the second oldest on his back.
"A**hole." Jerry muttered through a grin as he crawled onto all fours.
"Remember this Jackie. I'm sensitive about my weight." Bobby said with a grin.
"Then how come you thought I was gay?" Jack asked as he scratched the back of his head.
"He's calling you gay Bobby." Jerry said standing up.
"You calling me gay Jackie?" Bobby asked.
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"At least we know that you're legs are getting stronger." Bobby said as he carefully massaged Jack's slightly swollen ankle. "Just gonna take time to get use to it again."
"Hopefully that'll happen quick. My feet feel like their bloated." Jack said.
Bobby chuckled.
"Still, you did pretty good today Jackie. Soon you'll be playing hockey with us again and helping me show everyone that the Mercer's are still in charge of this place." he said.
Jack chuckled before Evelyn appeared carrying two lightly steaming mugs.
"Have fun boys?" she asked handing one of the mugs to Jack who quickly smiled realizing he was holding a cup of hot chocolate.
"Sure did ma." Bobby answered switching to Jack's other ankle as Evelyn placed the other mug on a coaster on the coffee table. "Saw for myself that Jackie's getting stronger. Didn't fall once."
"That's wonderful." Evelyn mused placing a kiss on Jack's forehead. "You didn't let him do anything dangerous, did you Bobby?"
"No." Bobby answered with a grin. "I'm the reckless one."
"I agree." Evelyn said before placing a kiss on Bobby's forehead.
"Ma." Bobby chuckled in through a fake whine.
Jack chuckled at his older brother before taking a drink of his beverage. He savored the warmth that spread through his body.
"I want the both of you to just sit down and relax for the rest of the day." Evelyn ordered in her motherly tone.
"So you want us to be in the house being destructive?" Bobby asked playfully.
"You know what I mean Robert Mercer." Evelyn lightly snapped through a smile. "Show Jackie that you're not just a destructive hockey player."
"Speaking of which, him and Jerry need to be grounded."
"Why?"
"Jerry was calling me fat and Jack was calling me gay."
"Well...you are a little bigger than you were when you were playing hockey."
"Ma!"
Jack laughed outloud as he watched the scene before him take place.
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"Shh!" Bobby hissed.
They all went silent and sure enough they could see why Bobby needed the silence.
From upstairs, they could hear the quiet strumming of a perfectly tuned guitar chord.
After glacing at each other for a quick second, Bobby, Angel and Evelyn quickly walked to the stairs and made their way up to the second floor where the chords grew louder.
The three quietly walked onto the second floor and toward Jack's open door where they saw him sitting on his bed strumming the strings of his prized instrument.
They stood in his doorway, listening and watching him play until he finally ended the song. He looked at his guitar for a second and then up at his family.
"I just...started playing." he said.