Title: The Good Son
Chapter 11 – Waiting to Exhale

A/N: Dedicated to my fellow Eddie (Hugh) addict FlashpointLady…hope a certain part of this makes you smile :D

Wordy rushes up to Clark and grabs the gun from his hand as both of them watch in horrible slow motion as the bullet leaves the chamber and heads for – his father. Ed feels the bullet rip into the top of his shoulder and he utters a small cry of pain as he starts to fall back to the ground.

At the same time, Sam had lined up the kill shot on Jeremy and let Spike and Greg work with Jules to secure the other two men. His finger had pulled back on the trigger the same time as Clark's; only his shot caught Jeremy in the back of the skull taking him down – permanently.

Clark breaks free from Wordy and rushes toward his father who's Jeremy's dead body had fallen on top of. "Dad!" Clark shouts as Wordy rushes after him.

"Hold on Clark, lets get this guy off him," Wordy tells him in haste.

"Oh god what have I done," Clark slightly sobs as he sees the stain of blood coming from his father's arm. He feels arms pulling him back and then looks up to see Leah offering him a weak 'he's okay' as Sam and Leah pull Jeremy off Ed and Wordy quickly is at his best friends side; Jules having already called for an ambulance and the coroner.

"Dad. No…"

Ed, slightly supported by Wordy's grasp, looks up at his son with a weak smile. "Better…work on that shot," Ed whispers softly as Wordy applies a patch of cloth to cover the wound and Ed's face winces.

"I'm so sorry," Clark whispers as he kneels down beside his father's side.

"Are you okay?"

"Dad…"

"Clark, I saw him hit you, are you okay?"

"But…dad…"

"I'm okay," Ed tries to assure his terrified son as Greg comes up to them. "Are you?"

"Yeah fine," Clark shrugs.

"Hey…boss."

"So much for a day to rest," Greg slightly smirks as he just shakes his head. "Glad you're okay."

"Yeah me too."

"You had us all worried there," Wordy looks down at Ed with a slight frown as Ed offers up a small wince as his frame shifts oddly as he tries to stand up. "Don't even think about passing out on the trip to the hospital."

"Wordy…I don't need..."

"Hey you wanna teach your kid a few more of your bad habits?" Wordy winks as both Ed and Clark exchange small smiles. "You are going and that's final."

"Two against one…"

"Hey we're all in this together," Sam pipes up. "You are going to the ER."

"Besides going to the hospital means free Jell-O," Spike teases. "What? I like Jell-O," he frowns when Sam gives him an inquiring glance that was basically asking how old he is.

"Where's Amber?"

"She's waiting outside in the truck," Greg tells Clark. "Wordy will bring her to the hospital."

Leah, Jules, Sam and Spike all head outside as the medics arrive, Barry and Walter being taken into custody along with Fred and the other driver who had been arrested earlier. The coroner zips up the bag containing the deceased body of Jeremy Ryder and Greg leaves Ed and Wordy with the paramedics as he calls Detective Duncan Ross to tell him all that had transpired and then give him the baton, gun and recordings that would implicate Jeremy as Dean's killer despite the fact that he was dead.

"I can walk…" Ed tries to argue with Wordy as his best friend starts to help him toward the waiting stretcher. However, Wordy just ignores the insistent request as they near the stretcher and Ed slowly sits down.

"Sir I need you to lie down."

"I'm fine," Ed grumbles as he looks over at Clark.

"Sir your arm is bleeding and it will require stitching. You should also get some x-rays."

"He's going," Wordy frowns as he looks over at Ed.

Ed sees the tears on his son's face and feels his heart shatter instantly as his own eyes water. "Clark, you can come with me son."

Ed finally lowers himself all the way onto the stretcher, allowing the medics to gently push his arms down, wrap a warm blanket around his slightly shivering frame and strap him in for the ride.

"Amber and I will see you there," Wordy assures Ed, giving his good shoulder a firm squeeze.

Clark walks in silence beside his father, not wanting to look down and still feeling enormous guilt over the things he had said earlier and the fact that he could have killed his father if he had aimed even a bit lower. Ed looks up at the tormented expression of his teenage son and frowns. It wasn't his fault – both of them had said words in anger that they might have come to regret had things worked out differently. Thankfully they were given another chance and he was determined to make the most of it.

Clark makes a small detour to hug Amber as they load Ed into the back of the waiting ambulance.

"I was so worried," she lightly sobs as she gives him a hug. "Is your dad okay?"

"Yeah thanks to Sam. He's a dead shot," Clark confesses weakly. "I shot my dad though."

"What?" Amber looks up in shock. "Clark?"

"In the arm but it was nothing...or so he says. He's okay and Greg said nothing will happen to me because it might have been a misfire," Clark frowns. "I really screwed up this time Amber."

"But you're alive right?"

"Right," Clark nods as the medic calls out to him. "I'll see you at the hospital."

"Okay."

Clark turns and hurries back to the ambulance, climbing into the back as Amber gets into the truck with Wordy to follow.

"Clark," Ed's soft voice pulls his son's gaze back down to him. "I'm proud of you son."

"What?" Clark looks at his father in shock. "I sho…hurt you," he whispers as his eyes water once more. "I'm sorry."

"Hey buddy…I'm okay," Ed offers a strained smile, his face slightly wincing as the medics work on his cut shoulder. "It's just a scratch."

"Mom's gonna kill me," he groans as he drops his head to his hands.

"Trust me she's not gonna be too pleased with me either," Ed frowns. "Can I please get my damn arms free?" Ed grumbles.

"You are moving too much as it is. Please just try to remain still," the medic huffs in response to the agitated SRU team leaders request. "It won't be much longer." With his arms under the blanket Ed's unable to hold his son's hand and curses himself for feeling helpless once again.

"He broke my phone," Clark laments, making Ed slightly chuckle. Clark looks down at his father and for the first time his face finally relaxes and he offers a genuine smile in return.

"He broke my car," Ed retorts.

"Mom's really gonna kill you for that."

"Yeah…I know," Ed frowns as they pull up to the ER entrance. "Clark, you can stay with me okay?"

"Okay."

Clark watches in fascination as they wheel Ed into the ER waiting area, watching as his father is registered into the system and then taken to a holding area to await treatment from an ER doctor. The time to wait isn't long ensuring that the anxiety for both father and son doesn't lessen. The doctor comes in and starts to look at Ed, Clark watching intently as his father's sweater is removed and despite the fine dusting of dark hair on his father's chest can see the bruises that Jeremy inflicted.

"Clark…buddy I'm okay," Ed assures his son as he watches his eyes water once more.

"Mr. Lane we just want to send you to x-rays okay, just to see if anything is broken or cracked. The nurse will be back to stitch this up for you as we are short staffed tonight and I can't tend to that wound myself," the ER doctor informs Ed. The doctor leaves to go and find the nurse to help with his shoulder wound, leaving father and son alone in the curtained off small examining room.

"Clark, come here," Ed entreats as he slowly sits up on the stretcher bed. He pulls his son into his arms and bites back any resounding pain as he holds him tightly against his bare chest. "Clark I'm sorry you had to see all that but if you hadn't been around…son you saved my life."

"Dad I shot you," Clark laments dryly as he pulls back and looks at his father in sorrow.

"It's just a scratch," Ed assures his son.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier…about um…wishing you dead and all, I never meant it...I swear, it was just stupid."

"I know and I forgive you," Ed replies tenderly. "I'm not mad."

"But you coulda died and…"

"But I didn't and you're okay so how about we both start fresh? You know back to the open communication we had before."

"Really? You're not mad? What about the gun?"

"Well it's worrisome. How did you know where it was?"

"I saw you put it there once. I never told you I knew but um…I'm sorry I didn't tell Greg and Wordy but uh…"

"It's over now Clark. How are you feeling?"

"Sore. Just caught me off guard but um…I'm okay. I think he did it more for you."

"I think so," Ed replies with a frown as the nurse comes in to tend to his shoulder.

"Hello there," she greets with a smile. "I'm Mary and I'm here to stitch up that shoulder of yours."

"Should I go?"

"No you can stay right here. Won't bother me," she smiles sweetly at the young boy before turning back to Ed. "I need you to lie down and just remain still."

Ed quickly complies and then looks over at Clark who watches with morbid fascination as his father's chewed up skin is cleaned, frozen and then stitched up.

"Does it hurt?" Clark asks softly.

"No, she's got good hands," Ed replies with a warm smile.

"I've got a good patient," Mary adds just as she finishes and then puts a protective bandage over the wound. "The porter will be here soon to take you to x-ray. You can cover up if want but if you need anything else I'm Mary T," she smiles at Ed before she leaves.

"I think she likes you dad," Clark teases his father, who was still half naked.

"Mom's not gonna like that," both of them utter at once and then lightly laugh.

"It's good to hear you laugh again son," Ed mentions tenderly. "So supper…"

"Yeah I guess that's kinda messed up now," Clark huffs as the porter comes up to them. "I'll go find Wordy and Amber."

"It won't be long."

Wordy nervously paces the ER waiting area, while Amber just sits on one of the chair's waiting for Clark to return. "How is he?"

"He's okay I guess," Clark answers as he joins them. "They took him for x-rays. Does that mean…"

"It's a precaution Clark but I'm sure you're dad's gonna be just fine," Wordy assures him with a warm pat on the back.

"Think he's still mad at me?"

"Trust me Clark, he was more angry at himself than you over all this."

"Because of the arrest?"

"No, that was just part of the job, a job your dad takes very seriously. About the talking and stuff."

"We I guess we both kinda messed up big time on that."

"But at least you can both fix it now right?"

"He said that too," Clark replies before he goes and sits down by Amber. Wordy waits a few more minutes before he heads into to the back and finds the room Ed was being treated in and then waits for Ed to return, his mind still in anxiety over the fact that he could have lost his best friend to a senseless act of violence.

"I'm gonna be fine," Ed's voice pipes up, pulling Wordy from his thoughts, prompting him to look at Ed as he's wheeled up to him.

"You can leave the wheelchair," Wordy mentions as Ed goes to stand up.

"What? Wordy…I don't need it."

"He said that earlier," the porter frowns.

"I'm fine," Ed insists.

"He's very stubborn," the porter huffs with a rather feminine tone. "Is he always this way?"

"Pretty much," Wordy winks and Ed just shakes his head. "He's hard to train."

"Wordy," Ed groans.

"Well if you need help with the training, I have a few videos on just that."

"Pardon?" Ed looks up in shock as Wordy snickers.

"Yeah...we got it covered thanks," Wordy laughs as he sends the porter away.

"You my friend are gonna pay for that," Ed warns.

"Hey at least he didn't offer you a sponge bath," Wordy counters.

"That's…not funny."

"Well you are stubborn," Wordy smiles as he helps Ed back onto the temporary stretcher bed to wait for the doctor. "You know when you mentioned a father/son weekend I didn't factor matching black eyes into the equation," Wordy mentions gently. "You okay?" He asks in concern. "You look rough."

"I'm sore and stiff…I have a busted car and a scared son," Ed sighs as he slowly leans back, trying to mask his wince from his worried best friend. "Wordy I'm fine."

"Yeah you look it," he huffs as he pulls his phone and calls Shelly. "Hey Shel, I'm gonna take Ed and Clark home and then have dinner…"

"Wordy…what are you doing?"

"Who's that? Oh just some patient suffering from dementia and needs help but of course is too stubborn to ask. Yeah it's Ed complaining about not needing help – as usual," Wordy smirks and Ed just sinks back into the firm mattress pad. "Go ahead with the girls. Yeah she's on her way back. I love you too."

"Wordy, we'll be fine."

"Sophie won't be home for a few hours but even still your father/son weekend is already moot. Just let me play the worried best friend card okay?"

"Okay," Ed remarks softly.

"You'd do it for me. I'll order some pizza's and you just take it easy. Don't get me to call Greg and pull rank."

"That's low," Ed smirks as the doctor comes back with the x-ray results.

"Well good news Mr. Lane, you're ribs aren't broken. A few are cracked so you'll have to take it easy and just rest for the next few days and..."

Wordy looks at Ed as Ed listens to the doctor and knows that while Ed is concerned about his physical wounds healing he's more concerned about healing the emotional wounds with his son. And as much as he wanted to leave Ed and Clark alone, he knows as soon as they are home, Clark will go sulk and Ed will just tell him he's fine and both would be at a stalemate, they need a small go-between until the tension was gone. A few laughs over pizza and pop would do the trick.

"Alright Sir…your chariot awaits," Wordy grins as he gets behind the handles of the wheelchair, the doctor already having left and discharged Ed.

"Nice…try," Ed grunts as he slowly stands up, his body rebelling with even the few minor steps. "I'm walking...on my own."

"Walk without grimacing and I'll let you."

"Let me?" Ed arches his brows in disbelief.

Wordy twists his head around and although sees nothing down the hall, pretends the overly friendly male porter is there. "Hey uh…porter can you give…"

"Wordy you better not…"

"Yeah a hand with…"

"Wordy," Ed warns again.

"Ed get in the damn chair already," Wordy states impatiently.

"Fine," Ed resigns as he slowly lowers himself down into the chair and lets Wordy push him into the hallway. "He's not here…that's low."

"Worked didn't it?" Wordy grins. "Just stay put will you. You can walk into your own home, wincing all the way and pretending I don't notice it."

Ed manages a small smile as he's pushed out of the ER by his best friend and into the waiting area where his son and his friend Amber were still waiting.

"Amber, we'll drop you off on the way home," Wordy tells the young girl as they slowly head for the waiting SRU SUV. Amber had already called her parents and told them everything was fine and that she was coming home with Clark and his dad in their police truck.

"Thanks for um…helping me today," Clark tells Amber in a low tone as Ed, who just sits quietly in the front passenger seat and smiles to himself.

"That's what friends do right? Help each other…no matter what," she tells Clark the same time Wordy looks at Ed and says the same words; the insides of the truck breaking into soft laughter.

"I'll…call you later…on the home phone," Clark groans.

"I'll be waiting," Amber replies as they reach her home. She gives Clark one more hug and then promises they'll also chat online later on when he was done with dinner and once she's inside Wordy pulls away and then heads for Ed's place.

"Think we'll beat the pizza guy to your place?"

"Can we use the lights?" Clark asks eagerly poking his head between the two front seats.

Ed looks at Clark and then at Wordy and back at Clark. "He's not listening to me today so if I said no, he'd probably do it anyways."

"Wordy?" Clark asks with a smile.

Wordy flips the lights and sirens and even safely runs a red for Clark's benefit before they are turned off as they approach the Lane residence.

"That was cool."

Ed's face had relaxed for most of the ride but as soon as Wordy stops in front of their place and he ponders the fate of his car inside the garage he frowns as his anxiety rises once more.

"The car."

"Leave it until the morning," Wordy instructs as they slowly get out of the SUV and head for the front door, Ed's arm draped around Clark's shoulder.

"You okay?" Ed asks softly.

"Yeah…you?"

"I am now," Ed answers as he hugs Clark close, Wordy watching with a smile.

Just as they enter the pizza delivery guy arrives and Wordy ushers them all the way inside before Ed can refuse and then joins them in the kitchen. Biting back a groan, Ed settles into a nearby chair and watches as Clark and Wordy talk to each other while they look for plates and cups. Clark looks up and both of them trade smiles and Ed knows that things would be very different from now on – but for the better.

"Okay…let's eat."

A/N: Okay so yay everyone is safe…what surprise will Clark have for his dad up next? But is it a happy ending for everyone? Please review with your thoughts and hope you are still liking this and please stay tuned for more.