Chapter 13

Completed 5/03/2009
Word Count: 1,416

Author's Note: I have yet another new beta. Two actually, Cheryl and one who prefers to remain anonymous, so she shall. They're both great! I have, with the help of my anonymous beta, gone back and made some corrections to the older chapters, but they are minor and mostly just grammar/punctuation fixes. Sorry it has taken so long to update, I will try to update more regularly!

Scott listened quietly, unseen by the adults, as the doctor spoke to the police officer. He kept the door open just a crack, ready to jump back into bed at a moments notice. He couldn't see anything because he was too afraid to peek out of the door, worried he might be seen.

"The larger boy, Lenny Wilson, who apparently started the fight, has a nasty bruise covering most of his back, a severe concussion, and some swelling around his spine, but he'll be fine with some rest. The concussion probably accounts for the weird things he was saying."

Scott guessed the officer must have given the doctor a funny look because he didn't say anything, but the doctor explained anyway.

"Lenny was saying some pretty odd things about one of the younger boys." There was the sound of shuffling papers, and then the doctor continued, "Scott Summers. Something about the boy shooting lasers out of his eyes or something.

"Scott required six stitches to close a deep cut on his cheek. He has some bruising around his ribs and back and a slight concussion. We'll be keeping him here overnight for observation. DCFS will be picking him up sometime tomorrow afternoon."

*Not a chance.* There was no way Scott was going back to another group home. He was sure he felt his heart skip a beat as the doctor said Benny's name.

"The third boy is the worst off of the three. He has several broken ribs, a concussion, and a skull fracture. He's in a coma. We don't know when, or if, he'll come out of it." The doctor paused for several seconds. Scott held his breath; afraid of what he was sure the doctor was going to say. "I doubt the child will ever come out it. He's also on a ventilator to help his breathing."

Scott let out his breath in a rush, feeling as though he'd been sucker punched. Benny might die and even if he didn't, he might never wake up again and it was entirely his fault. The cop started to speak, but Scott wasn't listening. Shoulders slumped, he made his way to his bed and climbed back in. He leaned back against his pillow, ignoring the slight pain in his ribs from were he'd crashed into the garbage can. Slowly, his eyes slid shut. He tried to fight the pull of sleep, but it finally claimed him, and he slipped unwillingly into a restless slumber.

X X X X X X X X X X X X

The overwhelming need to pee woke Scott several hours later. He glanced at the small clock on his bedside stand and the illuminated numbers told him it was four in the morning. Yawning as he stretched, Scott slid out of bed and padded over to the bathroom. He relieved himself quickly then found his clothes and got dressed. There was no way he was hanging around to be taken to another home, and he knew it would be easier to slip out unnoticed during the night when the hospital staffing numbers were smaller. There was something he had to do before he left, though.

Scott slipped silently down the hall to Benny's room. He knew he couldn't leave without saying goodbye, even if his friend couldn't hear him. Luckily, Benny's room wasn't from his own and he arrived in no time. Pushing the door open slowly, Scott slipped quietly into the room. He knew there was another boy in the room, and made a conscious effort to be as quiet as possible. It was hard to see in the dim light with his glasses on, so he had to be extra careful to not bump into anything. When he reached Benny's bed, he stopped. Reaching out, he picked up his friend's hand being careful not to dislodge any of the tubes or wires. There were so many, but it was the sight of the ventilator tube going into Benny's mouth that he found most disconcerting.

In a soft voice, Scott whispered. "Benny, please wake up," he pleaded. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't stop him sooner." A noise at the door made him pause, and seeing someone enter, he stiffened. He considered trying to hide, but it was too late.

"You're not supposed to be in here, young man," a voice said softly. "You should be in your bed sleeping."

Scott could tell it was a woman, and guessing it was a nurse, replied, "I'm sorry, ma'am. I couldn't sleep. Can I just sit with him for a while, please? He's my best friend in the whole world." He knew he sounded like he was ready to cry, and in all honesty, he felt on the verge of tears, but didn't care. "Please?" he pleaded.

"Okay, you can stay for a little while, but you have to be really quiet. Okay?"

Scott nodded in agreement. Then, not sure if she could see him, added, "Yes, ma'am. I promise."

The woman -Scott could tell she was a nurse by the uniform she was wearing- moved closer. "I just need you to move aside for a few minutes while I check a few things."

Moving aside, Scott waited patiently by the far wall as the nurse checked the equipment monitoring Benny, made notes on his chart, and then left the room as silently as she'd entered.

Scott came to his friend's side again and took Benny's hand into his own, silently willing his friend to wake up.

X X X X X X X X X X X X

Scott woke with a start. He was slumped over, his head on the bed and Benny's hand still in his. He wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, but a quick glance out the window at the darkness told him it couldn't have been for too long. Using his free hand, he rubbed his eyes as he yawned. Sighing, he looked at Benny, but there was no change. His eyes were still shut.

"Benny, you have to wake up, buddy. We have to get out of here. The cops are going to be here later to take me to another home and I don't want to go . . . not without you." Scott paused, hoping Benny would wake up and say something, or at least look at him. "Please, Benny." Benny didn't respond.

"I can't stay any longer. I have to get out of here before there are too many people around and they stop me." Pausing for a moment, Scott added, "I'm leaving now, Benny." There was still no response from his friend. "I'm going to New York just like we said we would. The doctor says your in a coma and can't hear anything around you, but I know you can hear me. When you wake up, and I know you will wake up, when you do, come to New York. I'll be waiting for you." Scott released his friend's hand, gently laying it on the bed beside him.

Getting up, Scott headed for the door, turning briefly to look at Benny. Knowing that his friend would not be waking up anytime soon, Scott sighed heavily, wiped the tears from his eyes, and shut the door behind him.

Getting out of the hospital unnoticed was easier than he thought it would be. He opened the door a crack to find the hall was still empty. Quietly, he made his way down the hall to the elevators. Once inside, he pushed the button for the first floor. No one stopped him as he exited the hospital.

It was a long, quiet walk back to where he and Benny had been staying. Scott tried to think of anything other than Benny's condition, but he couldn't. No matter what he did, his thoughts kept turning to his injured friend and the image of those tubes coming out of his body. With a resigned sigh, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was all his fault.

When he reached the house, Scott quickly gathered his meager belongings and stuffed them into his bag before grabbing his money from his secret hiding place. Hesitating, he debated taking Benny's money too. Yes, it was stealing and stealing was wrong, especially when you took from a friend.

On the other hand, it might be a very long time before Benny woke up and someone else might get it by then. Making up his mind that he would pay him back someday, Scott took Benny's money as well and quickly left the house they'd called home for the past three months or so.

TBC