Chapter 10: Saint Christopher

Christophers POV

When he woke up it was dark outside and the only thing he was aware of, was the fact that he was not in his own bed and he didn't recognise this place. He felt scared as he fought to remember what had happened and how he had gotten to this place; What was this place, a hospital room? 'The fair, the water, Buck and the firetruck, his dad crying' it all came back to him;

"Dad?", it came out more as a hoarse whimper than a question. He felt someone moving abruptly next to him.

"Christopher?" his dad's confused voice sounded, and then more alert and soothing: "Christopher, it's okay. I'm right here. You're gonna be okay. I'm right here mi hio" (I'm right here my son). His dad's soothing voice, stroking his chin and holding his hand was comforting, he knew he would be okay.

"Buck" Christopher whispered, again strangely hoarse and whimpering, though he hadn't attended it to be, but his dad just kept soothing him.

"It's okay mi hio. (It's okay my son) Everyone is going to be okay" his dad's soothing voice whispered, crawling up into his bed to hug him and sooth him back to sleep. "Duérmete mi niño, duérmete mi amor, duérmete pedazo de mi corazón…" (Fall asleep my child, fall asleep my love, fall asleep piece of my heart…) his dad started, which reminded Chris of something, but what? His eyes drifted closed and pictures started to form in his mind of the water, drowning and his mother's cry thinking he was dead and singing to him while carrying him to his dad.

It was brighter when he woke again. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, but from the lowered voices of someone at the other side of the room, he could guess that he wasn't alone. His dad was no longer laying next to him and when he started listening more closely he could hear his dad being one of the lowered voices, along with Maddie and Chimney;

"I can't believe none of us noticed they were missing" Maddie whispered.

"Yeah. I can't believe how many times we could have past them and not noticed. Chris woke up last night, and I don't even know how much he has remembered or what happened, so I just tried soothing him the best I could until he fell asleep again, but he still seemed restless for a while after that" his dad whispered.

"Do we know where they were when it happened?" Maddie asked, and for a while they all stayed quiet; "Well I guess that's my answer then" she said, and again they were all quiet. So Chris decided to move in his bed to catch their attention and make them aware of his awakeness.

"Dad?" Again that hoarse, whispering voice, but it worked because suddenly three pairs of feet were hurrying across the floor to him.

"Right here Chris. I'm right here mi hio" (I'm right here my son) his dad said, this time he wasn't whispering but he still sounded worried; The way his dad held his hand like he was afraid it would break.

"Where's Buck? Is he okay?" Chris asked worried. He could wakely recall his dad telling him last night that everyone would be okay, but did that mean Buck to?

"Buck is going to be okay. We found him and he is going to be okay, you both are" his dad told him.

"That's good" he answered; Remembering something else he said: "I was brave like you and Buck. I kept on swimming like Dory, like Buck said on the firetruck". The room was silent for a long time before someone answered.

"That sounds really nice, and we're so proud of you sweetheart" Maddie said, hesitating to glance over at his dad before asking: "Sweetheart, how much do you remember about what happened before you woke up here?" Nobody in the room said anything, almost holding their breath, waiting for him to answer her question.

"We were at the fair playing games and riding the carousels, and at the end of the peer looking out over the water", Chris recountered thinking of what happened; "Then all the water went missing and everything became really loud and Buck was running while carrying me", he started to sob slightly and his dad was there immediately;

"It's okay mi hio (It's okay my son). It's okay you don't have to tell. It's okay mi hio (It's okay my son)" his dad said, hugging him close and rubbing his back, rocking slightly back and forth while doing so. He wanted to tell them more, but he didn't want to upset his dad more, instead he remained silent, letting his dad comfort him.

"I can't believe they were right there in the center of everything when it hit" Chimney said horryfied. Chris mumbled something in his dad's shirt that made the grown up man smile and cry at the same time.

"What was it? What did he say" Maddie asked, also horrified thinking of how close her brother and Chris had been to the tsunami and still manage to survive.

"He said Buck was his Saint Christopher, carrying him through the waters to safety" Eddie smiled.

"Guess I will have to remember that one once Hen and I go cake hunting when Buck returns" Chimney laughed; "Do you think anyone can make a Saint Buck cake carrying our young Christopher here?" he joked, ruffeling Chris' hair. Chris turned his face to the side, freeing it of his fathers shirt this time before speaking;

"With the firetruck? Just like the one we were on" he asked with a hopeful smile.

"You were on a firetruck?" his dad asked, looking like he had just remembered something; "Were there other people on there too?" he asked his son curious.

"Yeah. Buck helped them through the water and up on the truck to me", he smiled widely thinking of this; "He was just like Saint Christopher, helping people through the water to safety" he stated proudly. Everyone stared at Chris, astounded by what he had just told them.

"So all the people we found on that firetruck was Bucks working" Chimney exclaimed in awe, while staring across the room at Buck; "There were what, 15-17 people on there?" this time looking at Eddie with wide eyes; "Is it really possible?" All three grownups looked at Buck who was resting peacefully across the room.

"Dad?" Chris asked nervously, unable to see what was going on since he still lacked his glasses

"Yes mi hio? " (Yes my son?) he answered, a little alarmed from Chris' change of voice and still amazed by his best friend's heroic action.

"I lost my glasses. Why is everyone so quiet?" he asked, still feeling a little uncomfortable by the silence that had filled the room when he told them about the firetruck.

"Oh sorry" his dad laughed, moving and fidgeting around with something on the table and handing it to him. It felt like his glasses; "We found them with Buck, he must have held on to them until he could give them to you". Chris placed the glasses on and was greeted with his fathers proud wide smile, which he happily returned; Chimney and Maddie had moved to stand at the other bed, looking down with astonishment and pride on the man in it. Chris looked closer at the other bed;

"BUCK" he exclaimed happily, looking up at his father with a big happy smile; "My Buck. My Saint Christopher" he said proudly.

A/N: Thank you very much for following along to the end. Hope everyone enjoyed reading this story, as much as I did writing it. Sadly all good must come to an end, and for me this was all I had for this story.