Chapter 30
The next morning when Baz woke up, he felt more awake than he had done the previous evening. The doctors ran some more tests, to see what he could remember from yesterday. The doctors seemed pleased by the results and allowed him some 'food'. It was supposed to be food, but the result looked more like water with foreign objects sticking out of the top.
Baz was part way through drinking his food, when Matt, Emily, Barry and Lucas entered the room.
"Hey Baz, what's up?" Matt called out as a greeting.
"Nothing much, except this stuff they give you…" Baz trailed off as a nurse walked in the room.
"It's called soup, now eat it up. It's good for you." Emily abolished him.
"Have you tried eating this stuff?" Baz quizzed her.
"Well, we've tried soup before, but ours actually looked like soup and probably tasted a lot better too from the looks of your face." Barry confirmed.
"Emily and I are going to get some drinks…Who else wants one?" Matt announced.
"Can I have a cup of coffee, please?" Baz pleaded.
"I'll go and see if your doctor allows it." Barry volunteered.
Soon the three of them had left the room, leaving the silent Lucas and Baz together.
"Do you think they planned this?" Baz asked Lucas, who just shrugged. "It does give us a time to talk. I want to know what's happened in the last couple of days to make you go quiet; I want to know where I stand cos at the moment I'm at a loss. Please, help me out here."
Lucas continued to look down at the bed before finally raising his head to look at Baz. The teen had tears in his eyes that eventually trickled down his face. Baz leaned forward and wiped the tears away and was surprised when Lucas grasped onto his hand as though it was a life line. The elder man reached down and beckoned for him to come closer. As Lucas did so, he found himself being locked in a tight embrace and, pressing himself closer to Baz, he began to cry harder. Rocking gently, Baz whispered nonsensical words of comfort into his ear, as Lucas cried himself out. They stayed like that for a while until Lucas decided to make the first move.
"I'm sorry I acted like I did. I didn't mean to, but I thought that if you become my father then you would automatically become someone your not…"
"Someone like Lawrence, you mean?" Baz murmured. Lucas nodded his head.
"I was so selfish and I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry; I was just so angry I forgot all the things that happened before the conferences until Barry reminded me. I was so stupid and I hurt you too."
Lucas buried his head in his hands, unable to face Baz any more. Baz placed his arm around the teen and pulled him onto the bed, so his legs were dangling off the end and he was cradled in the elder man's lap. Placing one arm around the teen's shoulders, he used his other hand to softly and comfortingly stroke his back.
"Listen to me. I know you didn't mean for anyone to get hurt and I'm sorry that we didn't have the conversation days ago, but what's happened has happened and we can't change the past, but we can fix this. It wasn't entirely your fault the situation got so far out of control, I had opportunities to talk to you, but I didn't. You weren't selfish, you were confused. You didn't know who to turn for answers, didn't know who to trust and neither did I. OK? We're going to fix this, one step at a time." Baz stated confidently.
"Are you like a modern day Bob the Builder then?" Lucas asked, a glint shone in his eyes for the first time in days. Baz laughed.
"Yeah, something like that." Baz chuckled. "I love you, Scamp! I always have done and always will."
Lucas smiled at the nickname, it was given to him when he was younger and he had been a bit disappointed when they stopped calling him Scamp. Lucas snuggled into Baz's chest, feeling protected and safe for the first time in days. The pair began to talk and didn't stop talking until Matt, Emily and Barry came back carrying teas, coffees and a hot chocolate.
Matt smiled when he saw the position they were sitting in. They looked so sweet together. He was glad they had made up though; he couldn't bear it if they hadn't. Eventually Lucas fell asleep, still on Baz's lap emotionally spent out. Baz chuckled when he saw the sleeping teen.
"Shall we move him?" Matt asked.
"Nah, leave him be…He's had a tough time, both of you have. He could do with the rest." Baz confided. "Now why isn't Lucas speaking?"
Matt explained how the two detectives had questioned Lucas and how he had reacted badly, when they asked him about his mother.
"And he hasn't been speaking since then… Bridger's done a brilliant job of making him feel loved; you should see Lucas when he's around him." Matt finished.
Just then, their conversation was interrupter by the arrival of the two detectives, Benson and Paulson. Upon seeing the visitors around the bed, they stopped. The detectives hadn't realised that Baz had guests.
"Ah, Mr Sunderland. I'm so glad you're awake and we were wondering if you felt up to answering some questions concerning your 'accident' on your own." Benson explained.
"I don't mind, but I can't leave this room and I refuse to wake Lucas up…He's had a tough couple of days, and he's exhausted." Baz sternly told the two detectives.
"And I'm not leaving Lucas alone with you two…If he wakes up, it'll take more than Baz's strength to calm him down. I need to be here to make sure that doesn't happen," Matt explained.
"And I'm not leaving without Matt. So if Matt doesn't go neither do I." Emily stated. Benson looked at Barry before saying,
"And what's your excuse?"
"I don't have an excuse; I have a reason for staying. If Matt, Emily and Baz can't stop Lucas from panicking, I'm going to send you two out and go and get the doctor or nurse to sedate him." Barry reasoned.
Benson rolled his eyes, knowing he had lost the battle.
"He panics a lot then, does he?"
"Only when you're around." Matt murmured. Baz gave him a sharp look and he immediately was quiet.
"OK Mr Sunderland, have it your way then." Benson gave in. "What can you remember about the accident, which landed you in hospital?"
"All I remember is getting a message from someone to go to the basement, to collect some light bulbs, I think it was."
"And this person, can you describe he or she?" Paulson joined in.
"It was a woman, I remember that, I think she had blonde hair and wore a uniform, like a waitresses. I could be mistaken though."
"And what happened when you got down there?"
"Well, when I got down there I heard a voice calling my name. It was a male's voice and kind of familiar, like I'd heard it before but a long time ago. I walked over to it and then darkness. The next thing I remember is waking up in hospital.
"Do you have any enemies that might want to threaten you or your family?" Benson asked. Baz frowned,
"Not that is alive. I mean I could have understood if it was Lawrence, but he's dead so that rules him out."
"But you said that the voice was familiar, like you'd heard it a long time ago. Like maybe someone in you knew or maybe an ex-girlfriend out for revenge?" Paulson added.
"But the fact that the voice was male rules out the ex-girlfriend theory, don't you think?" Benson pointed out. "But someone you know or knew is a possibility, wouldn't you say?" Baz sat still, concentrating hard.
"Maybe."
"Well, we will keep in touch with you, but until then keep safe." Benson warned. "The perpetrators may try to kill you again once they've found out you're still alive. Good day."
With that, the two detectives left the room.
"Did you notice he said perpetrators? It was plural." Emily picked up.
"Yes he did, didn't he?" Barry agreed.
"I'm just glad Lucas slept through it all without seeing the two detectives." Matt added.
"Lucas could sleep through an atomic bomb if it went off by the side of his head." Baz fondly said, ruffling his hair.
"Yeah, but he'd be dead if an atomic bomb went off next to his head." Barry pointed out.
"Good point." Baz laughed.
TBC…