The Witness
Chapter 28
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Bosco sat in the darkness, dozing only occasionally, waiting for daylight to come. He'd wanted to wake Cole up as soon as he found the bottle, but then he thought about it and realized that he was too angry. He'd say things he didn't mean. And, even though he could understand it, he couldn't understand it. And so, here he sat, wondering what and how to confront him with what he'd found. He looked over at the broken glass bottle that he brought back up with him.
Slowly, the hours ticked away with as he sat staring blankly at the television and pacing around the apartment. He looked in on Cole a couple of times to see him sleeping soundly, not knowing that he'd been found out. He wondered if he was still doing the drugs too, but then realized that it would have shown up on the blood work and urine tests - but then, wouldn't the alcohol have shown up too? Maybe he shouldn't confront him right now until he knew a little bit more. Maybe he should talk to Cole's doctor first.
Finally, it was 6:15 a.m. - time for Cole to get up and ready for school. He heard the boy's alarm clock go off and heard him moving around in his room. He saw him run from the bedroom to the bathroom and heard him getting sick. Bosco got up and moved the broken bottle into a bag and put it away for now. He put a pot of coffee on and was pouring a cup for himself when Cole trudged out into the kitchen.
"You okay?" Bosco asked him coolly.
"I don't feel so good," he told him. Bosco looked at him, the anger rising again.
"Yeah, well you don't look so good either. Can you make it to school?" he asked him, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.
Cole looked over at him. "You don't look so good yourself," Cole said, looking at Bosco's tired eyes and early morning beard.
"Yeah, well I didn't sleep last night," was all Bosco said, unable to look Cole in the eye.
"Oh, sorry. You okay?" Cole asked him, knowing something was wrong but not knowing what. Suddenly, another wave of nausea hit him and he made another run for the bathroom.
After he'd come out of the bathroom, he went back into his room and lay across his bed. Bosco came in and quietly said, "I called school and told them you wouldn't be in today."
"Thanks. If I feel better later I can go, right?" he asked.
Bosco shrugged, "I don't know. Probably. You've got a session at the center this afternoon, right?" Cole nodded.
"Well, let me know if you feel up to that. If not I'll have to call them and call in to work and tell them I can't come in," he said, turning to walk out of the room. Cole got up and followed him.
"Why? I can stay home by myself. I'm not a two year old," Cole said irritably.
"Oh? You can stay home by yourself? You can be trusted?" Bosco started, unable to control himself. Cole watched Bosco in shock walk over to the kitchen and reach into the cabinet.
"Is this why you want me to leave? So you have more time to get drunk again? Or, maybe you want to try to score some more drugs?" he said, holding up the broken bottle, the words out before he could stop them.
Cole looked at the floor. "Bosco, I'm sor..."
"Save it, Cole! I just don't want to hear it right now. Are you doing drugs again too? Have the last few weeks just been a sham?" Bosco asked in anger.
"What?! No!" Cole answered, looking directly at Bosco. "I just..."
"What? You didn't have anyone to talk to? C'mon, Cole. I don't want excuses. I want the truth!" Bosco said angrily.
"No, you want to believe the worst," he yelled back, quickly walking to the door and walking out. Bosco didn't notice that he'd grabbed his car keys off the table on his way out the door. He thought that Cole was just going out to walk off some anger. He watched him pacing in front of the building and then went to get his jacket and go talk to him. He grabbed for his apartment/car keys off the table as he started out the door and realized that they were gone. He looked at the floor, thinking maybe they'd fallen off the table and didn't find them. Suddenly, it dawned on him that Cole must have taken them. He opened the door and raced downstairs only to find Cole gone - along with his car too.
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TBC...
Chapter 28
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bosco sat in the darkness, dozing only occasionally, waiting for daylight to come. He'd wanted to wake Cole up as soon as he found the bottle, but then he thought about it and realized that he was too angry. He'd say things he didn't mean. And, even though he could understand it, he couldn't understand it. And so, here he sat, wondering what and how to confront him with what he'd found. He looked over at the broken glass bottle that he brought back up with him.
Slowly, the hours ticked away with as he sat staring blankly at the television and pacing around the apartment. He looked in on Cole a couple of times to see him sleeping soundly, not knowing that he'd been found out. He wondered if he was still doing the drugs too, but then realized that it would have shown up on the blood work and urine tests - but then, wouldn't the alcohol have shown up too? Maybe he shouldn't confront him right now until he knew a little bit more. Maybe he should talk to Cole's doctor first.
Finally, it was 6:15 a.m. - time for Cole to get up and ready for school. He heard the boy's alarm clock go off and heard him moving around in his room. He saw him run from the bedroom to the bathroom and heard him getting sick. Bosco got up and moved the broken bottle into a bag and put it away for now. He put a pot of coffee on and was pouring a cup for himself when Cole trudged out into the kitchen.
"You okay?" Bosco asked him coolly.
"I don't feel so good," he told him. Bosco looked at him, the anger rising again.
"Yeah, well you don't look so good either. Can you make it to school?" he asked him, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.
Cole looked over at him. "You don't look so good yourself," Cole said, looking at Bosco's tired eyes and early morning beard.
"Yeah, well I didn't sleep last night," was all Bosco said, unable to look Cole in the eye.
"Oh, sorry. You okay?" Cole asked him, knowing something was wrong but not knowing what. Suddenly, another wave of nausea hit him and he made another run for the bathroom.
After he'd come out of the bathroom, he went back into his room and lay across his bed. Bosco came in and quietly said, "I called school and told them you wouldn't be in today."
"Thanks. If I feel better later I can go, right?" he asked.
Bosco shrugged, "I don't know. Probably. You've got a session at the center this afternoon, right?" Cole nodded.
"Well, let me know if you feel up to that. If not I'll have to call them and call in to work and tell them I can't come in," he said, turning to walk out of the room. Cole got up and followed him.
"Why? I can stay home by myself. I'm not a two year old," Cole said irritably.
"Oh? You can stay home by yourself? You can be trusted?" Bosco started, unable to control himself. Cole watched Bosco in shock walk over to the kitchen and reach into the cabinet.
"Is this why you want me to leave? So you have more time to get drunk again? Or, maybe you want to try to score some more drugs?" he said, holding up the broken bottle, the words out before he could stop them.
Cole looked at the floor. "Bosco, I'm sor..."
"Save it, Cole! I just don't want to hear it right now. Are you doing drugs again too? Have the last few weeks just been a sham?" Bosco asked in anger.
"What?! No!" Cole answered, looking directly at Bosco. "I just..."
"What? You didn't have anyone to talk to? C'mon, Cole. I don't want excuses. I want the truth!" Bosco said angrily.
"No, you want to believe the worst," he yelled back, quickly walking to the door and walking out. Bosco didn't notice that he'd grabbed his car keys off the table on his way out the door. He thought that Cole was just going out to walk off some anger. He watched him pacing in front of the building and then went to get his jacket and go talk to him. He grabbed for his apartment/car keys off the table as he started out the door and realized that they were gone. He looked at the floor, thinking maybe they'd fallen off the table and didn't find them. Suddenly, it dawned on him that Cole must have taken them. He opened the door and raced downstairs only to find Cole gone - along with his car too.
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TBC...