"Dad...?" Craig's voice was soft and broken. "Dad..."
"I'm right here..." Ryan said, he reached out and took Craig's good hand.
"Dad..." Tears pooled in Craig's eyes and ran down his cheeks. Ryan sat on the edge of his bed, and pulled his son toward him. Craig's body shook against Ryan's as he sobbed. Finally the heaving stopped. Ryan gently laid him back down against the pillows. "It hurts..." He whimpered.
"I know..." Ryan said, his heart breaking for the boy. "What hurts?"
"M-my arm... and my neck... an' my head..." More tears spilled from his eyes. "I-is Nick okay? H-he looked... H-he..."
"It's okay..." Ryan aid, and he reached for him, and pulled him into another hug. "Everything's going to be okay."
*********************************
"Craig's awake, the doctor's are with him now." Taylor could hear the relief in her husband's voice.
"Sandy and Kirsten are here, I was going to drive them over..."
"No, stay there. We should be home in a few hours." Ryan reassured her. "I'm going to go talk to Frank..."
"Any word?"
"He made it through the night..."
"That's good, right?"
"Yeah, but they won't really know anything until he wakes up... If he..."
"Ryan?" Craig's voice was pitiful.
"I'll be home soon, okay? Love you." Ryan hung up the phone and went back to his son's bedside.
"It's okay Craig... you're doing fine." A nurse said, Craig's lower lip was trembling, but Ryan could see he was trying hard not to cry in front of these people.
"It's okay Craig, I'm right here." Ryan assured him. Unfortunately, there were about two nurses and a doctor gathered around Craig, and he couldn't quite reach his son.
*****************************************
"Thanks...." Trey said. His hands shook as he tried to drink the coffee Taylor had offered him. Taylor nodded. Sandy and Kirsten sat there, neither of them really speaking. "I-I just came to see how the boys were doing." He explained. "I should have... I should have kept a better eye on them..."
"It's alright Trey." Sandy said, but his tone said clearly- "No, it's not all right."
"I- It's... It's Ryan's day... To see Dawn. He told me. So I thought I would go..."
Kirsten nodded, "That's good of you."
"Figure it's the least I can do..." He muttered. He took two long gulps of the coffee and wished it was something a little stronger. "I should get going."
Kirsten and Sandy nodded. Taylor saw him to the door. "We'll call you if there's any changes."
"Yeah, thanks." Trey nodded.