In a Heartbeat
"The Same Old Songs Play Over And Over"
* * *
"Never promised you a rose garden," indeed .Tyler laughed sarcastically to himself. He had been in the rehab center for two months. The prom and junior year had past and Tyler had missed all of it. Senior year, filled with the excitement of finally being on your own, college and the complement of twelve long years of school; he was going to miss that too. It didn't matter anyway. He wasn't apart of that world anymore. Val wasn't talking to him and though they tried, Jamie, Hank, and Caitie were just to busy to make the long trip to visit him.
"You know Tyler, there are two ways of getting out of here. Walking or in that chair, which do you choose?" Said Mark , Tyler's physical therapist painfully stretching the muscles in his legs.
"You say the same thing every day." he spoke through gritted teeth.
"And you never listen. You could walk again if you just tried."
"Yeah right." Tyler sat up. "Are you done?"
Mark sighed. "Yea. Need help getting back in the chair?"
"Nah," he said as he left the room.
After the session Tyler headed to the cafeteria hoping that some of his new friends were there. He felt sorry for Mark, he knew that they the guy was just trying to help, but in the past few months the depression that had led him to contemplate suicide had grown. He wasn't himself anymore and frankly he didn't really care. Besides his father was coming visit and that was much more hell than the world he had created for himself.
* * *
"Tyler!" the voice yelled through the maze of smoke. It should have been the six year old Tyler, but it was him, reaching his hand out; another fire, another time. "Matt! Where are u? Mat-"
"Tyler? You okay?" another voice called out.
"Matt!"
"Don't you say his name." the voice stiffened.
Tyler opened his eyes and looked around. The familiar tubes and wires were back. "It's about time." He said to himself.
"What happened?" he said avoiding the word that was never said in his family, Matt.
The voice of his father softened a little bit and he sighed a breath of relief, Matt wouldn't be mentioned. "You had pneumonia."
"Great, there goes all that therapy you paid for."
"Don't be smart. You'll just have to work harder."
"Yeah. Would have been better if it killed me though."
Michael Connell couldn't help but smile. His son was just like him, the same sarcastic humor. However, that take on life, would lead to destruction. It's what broke up his marriage…and the other thing…. People like he and Tyler, when horrible things happen, they stop caring, stop feeling. They let their fear and doubt eat away at them.
"Like you wish I did after the fire." Tyler continued.
"You ran into that fire to save that boy. I didn't wish you dead."
"No.. the other one." his voice drifted away, the fever and delirium were starting to come back.
"Tyler-"
"You blame me for it. That's why you wouldn't let me come live with you after the divorce."
"You were only six. It wasn't your fault."
"That's what everyone keeps saying, but you and I both know that the fire and Matt's death was my fault and you blame me for it."
"Enough! " the elder spoke exasperated. "Just concentrate on learning how to walk again so you can take care of yourself."
So the cold father who never called, never wrote, never visited was back. Some things never change.
* * *
So how do u like it? Um, I couldn't find the first chapter of this story on my computer so if Tyler's dad's name is different let me know.
"The Same Old Songs Play Over And Over"
* * *
"Never promised you a rose garden," indeed .Tyler laughed sarcastically to himself. He had been in the rehab center for two months. The prom and junior year had past and Tyler had missed all of it. Senior year, filled with the excitement of finally being on your own, college and the complement of twelve long years of school; he was going to miss that too. It didn't matter anyway. He wasn't apart of that world anymore. Val wasn't talking to him and though they tried, Jamie, Hank, and Caitie were just to busy to make the long trip to visit him.
"You know Tyler, there are two ways of getting out of here. Walking or in that chair, which do you choose?" Said Mark , Tyler's physical therapist painfully stretching the muscles in his legs.
"You say the same thing every day." he spoke through gritted teeth.
"And you never listen. You could walk again if you just tried."
"Yeah right." Tyler sat up. "Are you done?"
Mark sighed. "Yea. Need help getting back in the chair?"
"Nah," he said as he left the room.
After the session Tyler headed to the cafeteria hoping that some of his new friends were there. He felt sorry for Mark, he knew that they the guy was just trying to help, but in the past few months the depression that had led him to contemplate suicide had grown. He wasn't himself anymore and frankly he didn't really care. Besides his father was coming visit and that was much more hell than the world he had created for himself.
* * *
"Tyler!" the voice yelled through the maze of smoke. It should have been the six year old Tyler, but it was him, reaching his hand out; another fire, another time. "Matt! Where are u? Mat-"
"Tyler? You okay?" another voice called out.
"Matt!"
"Don't you say his name." the voice stiffened.
Tyler opened his eyes and looked around. The familiar tubes and wires were back. "It's about time." He said to himself.
"What happened?" he said avoiding the word that was never said in his family, Matt.
The voice of his father softened a little bit and he sighed a breath of relief, Matt wouldn't be mentioned. "You had pneumonia."
"Great, there goes all that therapy you paid for."
"Don't be smart. You'll just have to work harder."
"Yeah. Would have been better if it killed me though."
Michael Connell couldn't help but smile. His son was just like him, the same sarcastic humor. However, that take on life, would lead to destruction. It's what broke up his marriage…and the other thing…. People like he and Tyler, when horrible things happen, they stop caring, stop feeling. They let their fear and doubt eat away at them.
"Like you wish I did after the fire." Tyler continued.
"You ran into that fire to save that boy. I didn't wish you dead."
"No.. the other one." his voice drifted away, the fever and delirium were starting to come back.
"Tyler-"
"You blame me for it. That's why you wouldn't let me come live with you after the divorce."
"You were only six. It wasn't your fault."
"That's what everyone keeps saying, but you and I both know that the fire and Matt's death was my fault and you blame me for it."
"Enough! " the elder spoke exasperated. "Just concentrate on learning how to walk again so you can take care of yourself."
So the cold father who never called, never wrote, never visited was back. Some things never change.
* * *
So how do u like it? Um, I couldn't find the first chapter of this story on my computer so if Tyler's dad's name is different let me know.