First, thank you for the reviews - they keep me writing! Second, I don't own any of the BC characters and all that stuff.
Robert Standish decided to play the round of golf with the chief of police, figuring it would be just as easy, maybe easier, to talk to him on the green than over the phone. They met at the club house at the Shermer country club. Adam walked over and shook Robert's hand, "ready for me to whip you again this weekend?"
Robert grinned, "yeah, only if you cheat again." Both men grinned and started towards the green. "So, I don't suppose you heard what happened yesterday and last night… "Robert tried to sound nonchalant.
Adam turned and looked carefully at him, "Well I heard a couple of stories, which one in particular are you asking me about?"
Standish sighed and leaned on his club, "I haven't had enough sleep to really beat around the bush here so I guess I'll just be honest."
Chief Jones burst out laughing, "Well that would be refreshing Standish, I've always known you were just a rotten to be a liar.' He continued laughing at his own joke. Everyone who knew Robert Standish knew he was generally brutally honest no matter what.
Robert took his shot then said "I am talking first about the teacher who was assaulted at Shermer high yesterday."
"Yeah, I heard about it, but I don't think I have the whole story. We've got a rookie, named Jimmy something or another, who filed a report stating that Tommy Strickler saved her from a bunch of burn out kids, namely one John Bender. However, his partner Mike Talmand, he's one of our old timers, hasn't gotten his report in yet and there were some things that didn't quite jive in Jimmy's report so I'm waiting on Talmand's. Course I'll have to kick his ass for not getting it in." After his commentary he took his shot, he put his club away, picked up his bag and started the walk towards their balls. "Why do you want to know?"
" Don't ream Talmand too hard, he was at the hospital most of the night. And before you ask, I know because I was there too. Sarah Dearing, the teacher in question, is my daughter's English teacher, and she was one of the kids on the scene. When I got home yesterday Claire was a mess, she told me that her new boyfriend – one John Bender – Christ I don't think I'll ever get used to saying that." Adam's eyebrows shot up," you'd let little Clairey date a guy like that?"
"Don't think I was all for it believe me, but let me finish my damn story will you?" Rob groused good naturedly, he took his shot and made par with a grin. "beat that."
Adam shook his head, "ok, so finish your damn story."
Sorry, uhm, so I get home and Claire is a mess, she tells me this long story about her boyfriend, and a bunch of other kids she's gotten to know, pulling Tommy Strickler and a bunch of jocks off the teacher – told me Strickler had his hand up her skirt, his hand pulling her hair, and she'd already been beaten up pretty good. Well I let Claire take her mother's car, who went for a spa weekend because her life is so fucking stressful, but anyway. A few hours later I get a nearly hysterical call from Claire saying the Strickler's were at the hospital causing trouble."
Adam stopped walking and looked around, "I think I need to sit down to hear the rest of this, want to take a break and come back to, where the hell are we anyway?" Robert chuckled "6th hole, are you sure you aren't getting old?" Adam smacked him in the arm, "you're older than I am!" However, the two friends walked back to the club house; got themselves something to drink and went to sit in a secluded area outside the main house.
Robert Standish told Adam the long story of the previous night in as much detail as he could. The chief of police polished off his drink and was quiet for another moment, "Talmand's off the hook, but if what you tell me is true, and you've never lied to me before, that rookie needs an ass kicking; I need to make a visit to the precinct then to the hospital. I think I need to talk to the teacher, and as much as it stuns me to say this, John Bender. Think we can try this game again tomorrow? I need to take a care of a few things."
Robert shook his head, "I don't mind, I think I need to retrieve my daughter from the hospital and make her get some real sleep, I'll put money down she's not been home."
The men waved as they went in opposite directions.
Back at the hospital, John was nearly asleep again, but woke up when Claire got up. She brushed his hair away from his face, "I need to go home, get a shower and maybe a few hours sleep. I'm gonna call the rest of the gang and we'll be back later." John looked like he wasn't happy. "Is it that you don't want me to leave or you don't want me to call the others?" Claire was getting good at reading him.
John shook his head, "fuck, I don't know. I sure as hell don't want you to leave Cherry, but I'm not sure I want the others to see me lying here like this." Claire leaned over and kissed him gently, "I'm calling anyway, and you need to rest. I promise I'll be back in a few hours." She smiled and winked at him, she stopped at Sarah's bed and asked both of them, "Can I pick anything up for either of you while I'm out?"
John shook his head, "not unless you can bring me smokes or… no cherry I'm all good." Sarah thought for a moment, "I'm not sure when I am getting out of here… but I sure would like a book and some clean clothes."
Claire said to Sarah, "ok, where do I find what you need?"
Sarah blushed a little, "top drawer of my dresser for the undergarments and a nightgown. And uhm, there are a couple of books on my bedside table; any of them would be good."
"Got it, and I'll be back, John if you are really good I'll even bring you real food."
"nothing with raw fish please." Claire laughed as she headed down to the parking garage. She arrived home at the same time her father did. They parked the cars and got out at nearly the exact same time, "Hi Daddy, how was your golf game?"
"Morning angel, are you just getting in?" She nodded, refusing to blush or feel bad about it. He smiled at her inability to keep from blushing, "I suspected you slept there. How are they doing?"
She was a little surprised at his genuine interest, "Ok I guess, John's in a lot of pain, but Miss Dearing seems a little better. Dad she told me what the doctors said about her insides, it's awful. Apparently one of the boys tore something inside of her! I didn't know something like that could happen."
Robert Standish pulled his daughter into a hug and kissed the top of her head, "it only happens when someone is especially violent – something you should never have to worry about." He held her tight, "want to go out and get some lunch once you've showered and changed, maybe even a little shopping?"
Claire let herself feel safe in her father's arms, though she realized she felt safer with John. She shook her head, "I am going to lie down for a while then see if Alison, Brian, and Andy want to go see John and Miss Dearing." She pulled away, "It's so strange; Daddy a week ago I feel like I was a different person. I was someone who was only interested in clothes and shopping. I didn't realize bad things could happen or that people like John and Allison were more real than any of the so called friends I've had since elementary school. It's like my whole world is changing. And, well, I don't think you and I have really talked in years.. is it just me or are you changing too?
Robert sighed, and ran the back of his hand down her face. "I think you are helping me change too angel. Not sure, maybe it's something in the water." He smiled at her. "Go take a nap."
Claire climbed the stairs to her room and she heard the house phone ring knowing someone else would get it she made her way into her bedroom, stripped and got in the shower. She couldn't help thinking of John, she knew he would love that she thought of him in the shower. Maybe, if he was lucky she'd let him know. However, she was so tired she decided not to blow dry her hair. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
Robert Standish brewed a pot of coffee and sat down to watch the news, he was tired and really not up for work at the moment, but he thought perhaps catching up on the new wouldn't be a bad idea. The first story made him get up and leave the house without a note or changing clothes. He drove directly to the hospital, worried about the young man who had become so important to Claire in the past week, and him over the last 24 hours. He drove as fast as he could, praying the whole time that John and Sarah didn't turn the news on.
Back at the hospital John and Sarah were growing bored, the Saturday morning cartoons were about to give way to the news. John begged her to turn it off. "I feel shitty enough; I don't want to know what fucked up things are happening here or in Chicago."
Sarah said, "come on, I'll give you extra credit in my class if you just watch the news with me today. I promise I won't make you do it every day. I just feel really out of touch. If extra credit isn't encouragement enough, what do you want?"
John thought about it for a minute, and scratched at the hair growth on his chin, he really needed to shave. "I want to know about you, I saw the scars and stuff on your arms, and well I know you have kind of a thing for me." He wagged his eyebrows and smirked at her.
Sarah sighed,"I guess you deserve some info and I guess it's time I told someone, but don't even joke about that, me having a thing for you crap, not right now. I have one condition though.
John got himself a little more comfortable, "ok, shoot. What's your condition?"
Sarah thought about it carefully, "I don't want you telling people, or feeling sorry for me or some shit like that. Well you can tell Claire because she probably saw some of my nightmares, but no one else, ever. Ok?"
John shrugged, "Ok, I have no problem with that at all. Uh, do I have to actually like pay attention to the tv or can I work on sleeping?"
Sarah grinned a little, "I think if I am giving something, you have to do the same. So that means you have to pay attention."
Sarah turned the TV back on just as the early afternoon news had already begun, "one of our top stories today a homicide/suicide here in the quiet town of Shermer." This was said by the pretty brunette newscaster. We turn now to Bruce who is on location outside of the house" The picture of a tall blond man, John said, "I think he looks like a living Ken doll, don't you Sarah?" Her only response was, "shh"
John turned his attention back to the television and the blood drained from his face, he turned the volume up as loud as it would go… the living Ken doll was already talking. "Police found the couple sometime early this morning. It appears as though Tina Bender shot her husband from point blank range while he was sleeping then proceeded to use the same gun to shoot herself in heart." John suddenly jumped out of the hospital bed with a hiss of pain. "Please tell me you have cigarettes, Please, this can't be fucking real. I have to be having some kind of fucked up nightmare and I am going to wake –up really hung over…" He picked up the phone and dialed a number, "come on, come on ma, answer the damn phone." When there was no answer he slammed the phone down, then he ripped it out of the wall socket and threw it across the room.
Sarah had turned the news off, "Oh my god, John I am so sorry."
He looked at her with a wild look of rage in his eyes, one that poorly covered an intense amount of pain. "Don't say that, don't fucking say that!" John yelled. A nurse who was a little younger than Sarah and quite pretty entered the room.
"Did you need something Miss Dearing? Mr. Bender, you really shouldn't be out of bed, your ribs won't heal correctly, and your hand needs to stay elevated" John was pacing back and forth by his bed.
Sarah quietly said, "he needs a wheel chair, and someone to take him outside for a few minutes."
At that moment, Mr. Standish came into the room. "John, are you ok? Shit, you've apparently heard, did a police officer stop by?" Sarah shook her head, "I made him watch the news…I didn't know."
John stared at Mr. Standish, "I don't suppose you have any pot? If not a fuckin cigarette would be nice. The fucking news… thanks a lot Miss Dearing" He spit her name out. An intern arrived with a wheel chair, "uh am I interrupting?" Robert Standish gave the intern a withering look, "yes, leave that please and go away."
"Look John, I know you have no reason to like or trust me, but I left Claire asleep and I am willing to help you outside, will you let me?"
