The desk Sergeant at the twelfth precinct lazily sorted through the mail, a
hot rod magazine catching his eye. The officer couldn't help but page
through it. He was so enthralled in the reading he didn't even notice the
tired man in the flannel coat approach. "Excuse me, Sir.... I'm here to
turn myself in!!" The young cop looked up from the magazine at the
disheveled sight before him. "For what?" He asked, eyeing the vagrant a few
times. "My name is Chet Hunter, I killed my son a few days ago, I need to
be put away for what I did to my boy." Chet pathetically extended his arms
across the desk, and bowed his head in defeat. The Sergeant raised an
eyebrow and slapped a set of metal cuffs on the older man's wrists, "I
suggest you have a seat my friend, "It's going to be a long day.
"It's starting to snow pretty hard outside." Cory observed as he sat on the windowsill of Shawn's room. Amy and Jonathan were beginning what was turning into marathon rummy. "I guess we could play to a thousand." Amy smiled, shuffling the cards with ease. John rubbed his eyes and turned to study Shawn. "God I wish he would come around, It's been almost five hours since they stopped the medication, he should have stirred by now." Jon sighed in frustration. "Be patient Jon, the doctor said it would take time, I'm sure this is normal."
Jon glanced at his cards, rolling his eyes in frustration. Cory leapt from the windowsill and pulled up a chair next to Shawn. "Hey Shawnie, It's starting to snow, If you hurry up and open your eyes, I'll get you a snowball." The curly headed teen smiled, patting his best friend on the shoulder gently. Cory lowered the rail on the side of the bed and leaned in closely. Propping his head on his arms he pulled the small television close. Placing the speaker between his head and Shawn's.
Flipping through the channels Cory's eyes widened in delight, "OH LOOK MY SHAWN, BAYWATCH TIME!! This should bring him around Mr. Turner." John glanced over to the television and smiled, you want to bring him around, tune to headline news and blare the speakers in his ears, he'll cringe...Eli forces him to watch it at home all the time, it drives him nuts." The three giggled, just as Nurse Beverly entered the room, "Did I miss a good joke?" She greeted, grabbing hold of Shawn's expanding chart. Bev started to examine Shawn, like she did every half hour like clockwork. "His vitals are good, his temperature is normal and his breathing is strong and steady, he could be off this machine in a day or two." Jon shook his head reluctantly, "I just want him awake, what's taking so damn long?"
Jon balled his fists in frustration. "Easy Jon, Shawn's coming off the tail end of a serious postoperative infection." The nurse opened the wrapper on yet another medication bag and hung it next to the countless others on Shawn's IV stand. "It will take some time but he should be conscious by days end." Hooking the line into the catheter at the base of Shawn's neck, she set the infusion pump and tucked the plastic tubing beside his pillow. Taking her trusty penlight in hand, she shone it into Shawn's eyes and smiled.
"Very good response, we should see these baby blues in an hour or so." Beverly returned the light to her hip pocket. She reached over and rubbed Shawn's sternum hard with her knuckle, "Come on Shawn, your fan club is eager to see you, you better wake up before they go mad!!" Jon giggled and rubbed his eyes, while Beverly yelled loudly into Shawn's ear. Just then the boy crinkled his nose and moved his head. "HE MOVED!!" Cory jumped up and pointed with vigor towards Shawn. Beverly laughed, "Pain.. unfortunately is the best stimulus, works even better than baywatch." Jon looked around in awe, "I MISSED IT!!" he yelled as he hurried to Shawn's side. "He moved and I MISSED IT!!" Jon cursed himself under his breath.
"Don't sweat it Jon, start talking to him and asking him to squeeze your hand, I'm sure he'll respond, he's coming around fast. I'll be back in thirty, you guys relax and be patient okay!!" Beverly reached into her pocket and slipped Cory a cherry life saver, "Your favorite!" She whispered with a wink. Cory popped the candy into his mouth, smiling ear to ear, "She's delightful!!" he exclaimed out loud. John leaned in and grasped Shawn's hand in his own, "Hunter!! Let me know your in there kiddo, give me a sign!!" John pleaded with the still boy, to no avail. Sighing he shook his head in defeat. Amy leaned over and placed her arm around the frustrated man.
Amy rose and stretched her tired legs, placing her arms around Cory's shoulders; she leaned in and lovingly gave him a squeeze. "Come on handsome, lets say you and me take a walk to the gift shop and stock up on candy and magazines." Cory smiled and took his mothers hand, leaving Jon alone with Shawn. The room was quiet, except for the sounds of the machinery. Jon was starting to loose his cool, he was about ready to give up when finally Shawn began to stir. The boy's serene expression darkened, he furrowed his brow. Shawn grasped aimlessly at the blankets by his side, shifting uncomfortably. Jon's jaw dropped in shock; he scrambled for Shawn's hand. "Easy, easy does it kiddo, it's okay, and you're okay!!" Jon worriedly reached for the call button, holding tight to Shawn, who was visibly becoming more and more uncomfortable. Beverly hurried through the door, "What's up Jon?" She asked, taking her stethoscope from around her neck.
"He's thrashing around pretty good, I think he's in pain, can't you do something??" Jon pleaded, softly grabbing Shawn's hands as they randomly reached out to the air. The boy's eyes remained shut tight, while he weakly writhed about. "He's going to be very uncomfortable and really disoriented, just talk to him and try to calm him down a bit, I'll page the doctor." Beverly took a quick set of vitals and snatched the phone up; dialing swiftly, within moments Doctor Fleisher was heard being summoned to the ICU.
Amy and Cory were just about to enter the room, when Jon caught sight of them. He hurried to the doorway, "Look guys, why don't you head to the café and grab some snacks okay." Jon anxiously stared at Amy hoping she would take his cue and keep Cory away from the room a bit longer. Amy glanced over John shoulder and glimpsed Beverly struggling with Shawn, "Good idea, Come on Cory, lets go grab a bite." Amy turned Cory toward the door as the boy stretched to see into the room, "No, I'm not hungry, what's wrong...What's happening??" Amy forcibly ushered the frightened teen from the room. Doctor Fleisher rushed past them, pulling the drape closed behind him. Jon could hear Cory pleading, Amy leading him down the corridor. He quickly returned to Shawn's side.
"John get around and get in close to him, talk to him, try to get him to calm down. Doctor Fleisher leaned in and grasped Shawn by the wrists, "Shawn, relax son...steady...steady..I need you to relax..." Shawn looked as though he wanted to scream, but helplessly couldn't make a sound. Jon stroked his head and soothed, "Shhhh. It's okay Shawn, I'm here, open your eyes." Doctor Fleisher continued to coax Shawn into consciousness as Jon shook with anticipation. Before long both men were rewarded, Shawn's eyelids fluttered lightly, his eyes rolling about trying desperately to focus, "GOOD BOY!! FOCUS ON JON!!" Shawn clutched Jon's shirt and opened his eyes wide. Scanning the room in shock, his mind spinning in confusion, "Shawn, can you hear me??" Jon questioned as he rubbed the boy sympathetically on the arm. Doctor Fleisher smiled and introduced himself as Shawn peered at the three in horror. In a soft and soothing voice, Jon explained to Shawn that he was in the hospital and he was in good hands.
A few tears fell from Jon's eyes while he consoled the very frightened boy. Doctor Fleisher quickly took over and began to examine Shawn extensively; he tested his reflexes and peered into his eyes. He asked Shawn a series of questions and instructed him to answer by lightly squeezing his hand or blinking. Shawn complied politely obviously overwrought with pain. Both The Doctor and the nurse continued to treat Shawn as Jon was ordered to wait outside, his heart broke to leave the boy looking so scared and shaken, but he had to follow the Doctors orders, he stepped out, his hands shaking a mile a minute.
John leaned up against the wall outside the ICU, Amy and Cory joining him in the hall. Cory's face was stained with tears, while Amy's expression tense and rigid. "What's going on, what's the matter, Mr. Turner?" Cory questioned, his voice cracking with fear. "Nothing, Nothing's wrong, just calm down. It's okay, Shawn is conscious, he's awake, but he got real scared and he's hurting pretty bad, we just didn't want you to see him like that, the Doctor is with him and they're going to take good care of him, I'm sorry we scared you, we didn't mean it." Jon patted Cory on the back as the boy released a few quick sobs. The three anxiously waited for word from the Doctor.
Meanwhile as the snow fell heavily outside, Chet was lead into Lock-up in shackles. The Detectives leading the search for him anxiously met him in the station's interrogation room. After declining his right to an attorney several times the man just wanted to get it all off his chest. He collapsed in relief on the steel table as the police informed him that Shawn was alive and slowly making a recovery across town. Tears fell from his eyes, dripping onto the table before him. The detective placed a tape recorder and microphone in front of the guilt ridden man, who began confessing in lurid detail, his pitiful actions of a few days ago. His voice heavy with remorse, he painted a grim picture as the tape captured every sorrowful word. Kelly Krause, from DHS eavesdropped outside the room, watching the scene unfold behind the two-way mirror.
Doctor Fleisher emerged, smiling broadly. He greeted the shaken trio. "He's doing fine, as soon as some test results come in from the lab, we can administer pain medication, we have a rush on them, so he won't be uncomfortable for too much longer. All his senses seem to be sharp and his vitals signs are good. He is experiencing some memory loss and disorientation, which is normal for this kind of trauma; it will come back in time. I've ordered an Arterial Blood Gas for Shawn tomorrow at six, if the test comes back good, we'll take him off the respirator right away, until then he can't speak, I can tell that's going to be very hard on him, so do your best to keep his mind occupied." Jon nodded as the Doctor continued.
"He is very weak, so he may want to sleep most of the day, if he does, let him, he needs all the rest he can get, to get his strength back. We'll keep the feeding tube in him for a few more days until he can breathe easy on his own, then we'll get him started solid foods"
The Doctor returned to his rounds, Amy, Cory and Jon rushed almost giddily back to Shawn's side. Nurse Beverly was still with him trying hard to help Shawn relax through his pain. Jon crept up next to him, beaming with glee as the boy glanced up at him. Shawn managed a weak smile, Jon leaned in and grabbed his hand, "Hey buddy, you sure gave us a huge scare!!" Shawn silently stared at Jon with tired eyes, trying desperately to stay focused on his face.
Amy leaned in and kissed Shawn gently on the forehead. Shawn winced and closed his eyes tightly. He grasped the bedrail hard, unable to hide his misery. Jon glanced at Beverly, his expression wracked with anxiety. Cory backed away, stiff with worry. Amy interrupted, "Look it's going to be a long hard night, maybe it's best if we leave Shawn alone until he's feeling better, I don't think he's up for company right now." The nurse and Jon both nodded, Cory sighed, visibly disappointed. The Matthews left the room hand in hand, Shawn barely noticed their departure, he was much too preoccupied with pain.
Jon set his mind to the task at hand, it was hard to watch Shawn struggle, but he jumped right in and did his best to help. Placing a leg up onto the bed he leaned in and wrapped his arm around Shawn firmly. The boy welcomed him with desperation, resting his head upon Jon's chest. Shawn reached countless times for the ventilation tube secured to his mouth, but never got hold of it; Jon finally felt the need to hold his hands for a while. "I can't imagine what your going through, buddy, but I'm here, we'll take it minute by minute, you just lean on me and we'll get past this." Beverly hurried back with a small syringe, injecting Shawn's IV, "This will help ease the pain enough for him to get some rest." She disposed of the remnants in the small red container mounted to the wall. Within minutes Shawn felt heavy against Jon, his eyelids drooped sluggishly until they closed permanently, his arms limply resting within Jon's strong grip. The weary man wriggled out from under Shawn as Beverly situated the boy back into the center of the bed.
"You did great, Teach!! Bravo!!" Jon smiled and shook his head, "This is going to be harder than I thought it would." Jon commented, plopping into his usual red leather seat, next to Shawn. Beverly dimmed the lights so the room was dark and peaceful. She adjusted Shawn's blankets and tidied the carts and medication trolleys in the room. She and Jon exchanged small talk as Shawn slept fairly sound. Jon surprisingly confided in her with much detail about his rocky relationship with Shawn and his family. He explained his plans to make Shawn a permanent part of his life. The two talked into the night, stopping on occasion to tend to Shawn, who was having an extremely restless time.
Eventually Jon gave way to his weariness and fell into a deep sleep, curled up in his chair. Beverly remained sharp, checking and rechecking Shawn's progress, dressings, medications, the myriad of monitors, machines and lines sustaining the fragile boy at the center of it all. Close to morning Shawn woke once again. His eyes darting back and forth as he soaked in his surroundings, his mind a bit clearer then before. He caught sight of Jon sleeping beside him and smiled. Beverly approached; reaching gently she took Shawn's arm and checked his pulse. "Feeling a little better?" Shawn rolled his eyes and silently nodded.
His neck stiffened as he searched for a more comfortable position, obviously annoyed with the respirator. "Don't you worry, were going to get rid of that thing tomorrow, hopefully." Shawn toyed with swallowing and taking a few deep breaths. The pain and pressure still overwhelmed him, but he was managing and controlling it like a pro. Beverly occupied the boy with a one way conversation as time slowly passed. She told him all about the surgery and what's been happening since he arrived. She filled him in on his visitors and well-wishers. She raved about Jon and how he hasn't left Shawn's side throughout the entire ordeal. Shawn took comfort in her words and nodded in and out several times during the night, finally dawn greeted him as the doctor arrived with good news, time to pull the breathing tube. Jon was asked to again leave the room, reluctantly he complied and paced about outside.
After a half an hour passed, the Doctor emerged with a smile. "Tube's out and he's doing fine. He'll be in a lot of pain for a while, but he's breathing all right on his own. He's passing a lot of blood through the chest tube, but it's probably because of all the moving around he's doing, we'll monitor it closely, but he's progressing very well. He'll be on oxygen for a while until his lungs get stronger and heal a bit more. Make sure he keeps the mask on at all times and very little talking, his throat will be very sore and the muscles may spasm. The tube passed right through his vocal chords, so his voice will be extremely raspy, it's all very normal. I'll return after lunch to check on his progress."
Jon shook the doctors hand and was just ready to return to the room as Kelly Krause approached, "Jon, I have some news, Chet turned himself in to the police yesterday, he was arrested and booked. He confessed to everything. He's scheduled to be arraigned today at nine; the police and counsel expect him to plead no contest to all charges. He could be sentenced as soon as tomorrow morning. I'm here to break the news to Shawn." Jon leaned in on the wall and sighed in aggravation, "I don't think he could handle this just yet, can't we wait to break it too him, he's been through so much already?" Kelly placed her briefcase on the floor and folded her arms; "I don't think we should keep this from him Jon. By the way, we got a verbal agreement from Chet and Shawn's other relatives that they wouldn't contest your petition for adoption, with the exception of his biological mother, who can't be located."
Jon's mind swirled, his knees felt weak as he processed the information before him. Frankly it was a bit more than he could even take at the moment. "Look, lets grab a cup of coffee and go over this, I have some forms for you to sign as well..." Jon shook his head, "No, No way!! I got to get back to Shawn; his health is my top priority right now!! I'm his legal guardian and I say no. I assure you Kelly, I will tell him about his father and we will discuss the adoption, but now is not the time. Leave the forms with me and I'll go over them this afternoon and get them back to you ASAP." The young woman reluctantly handed over the forms and closed up her case. Turning to leave, she stopped "I'll call in with more information on Chet when I have it. We can't proceed with the adoption until we get an interview with Shawn, Don't delay Jonathan, please time is of the essence here." The two exchanged stern glances as Jon returned to Shawn.
His heart nervously thumped inside his chest. "This is it", Jon thought to himself, "the moment I've been waiting for." Jon lightly treads into the room. Shawn was laying quietly, the respirator a memory, replaced instead with a hard plastic oxygen mask. Jon crept in and sat in his chair, just as he was quietly lowering the rail, Shawn stirred, their eyes met, he smiled and weakly reached out for Jonathan. Jon broke down with emotion. He moved close, only inches from Shawn's ear, whispering lightly, "Welcome back, I was terrified I would never see you again..."
"It's starting to snow pretty hard outside." Cory observed as he sat on the windowsill of Shawn's room. Amy and Jonathan were beginning what was turning into marathon rummy. "I guess we could play to a thousand." Amy smiled, shuffling the cards with ease. John rubbed his eyes and turned to study Shawn. "God I wish he would come around, It's been almost five hours since they stopped the medication, he should have stirred by now." Jon sighed in frustration. "Be patient Jon, the doctor said it would take time, I'm sure this is normal."
Jon glanced at his cards, rolling his eyes in frustration. Cory leapt from the windowsill and pulled up a chair next to Shawn. "Hey Shawnie, It's starting to snow, If you hurry up and open your eyes, I'll get you a snowball." The curly headed teen smiled, patting his best friend on the shoulder gently. Cory lowered the rail on the side of the bed and leaned in closely. Propping his head on his arms he pulled the small television close. Placing the speaker between his head and Shawn's.
Flipping through the channels Cory's eyes widened in delight, "OH LOOK MY SHAWN, BAYWATCH TIME!! This should bring him around Mr. Turner." John glanced over to the television and smiled, you want to bring him around, tune to headline news and blare the speakers in his ears, he'll cringe...Eli forces him to watch it at home all the time, it drives him nuts." The three giggled, just as Nurse Beverly entered the room, "Did I miss a good joke?" She greeted, grabbing hold of Shawn's expanding chart. Bev started to examine Shawn, like she did every half hour like clockwork. "His vitals are good, his temperature is normal and his breathing is strong and steady, he could be off this machine in a day or two." Jon shook his head reluctantly, "I just want him awake, what's taking so damn long?"
Jon balled his fists in frustration. "Easy Jon, Shawn's coming off the tail end of a serious postoperative infection." The nurse opened the wrapper on yet another medication bag and hung it next to the countless others on Shawn's IV stand. "It will take some time but he should be conscious by days end." Hooking the line into the catheter at the base of Shawn's neck, she set the infusion pump and tucked the plastic tubing beside his pillow. Taking her trusty penlight in hand, she shone it into Shawn's eyes and smiled.
"Very good response, we should see these baby blues in an hour or so." Beverly returned the light to her hip pocket. She reached over and rubbed Shawn's sternum hard with her knuckle, "Come on Shawn, your fan club is eager to see you, you better wake up before they go mad!!" Jon giggled and rubbed his eyes, while Beverly yelled loudly into Shawn's ear. Just then the boy crinkled his nose and moved his head. "HE MOVED!!" Cory jumped up and pointed with vigor towards Shawn. Beverly laughed, "Pain.. unfortunately is the best stimulus, works even better than baywatch." Jon looked around in awe, "I MISSED IT!!" he yelled as he hurried to Shawn's side. "He moved and I MISSED IT!!" Jon cursed himself under his breath.
"Don't sweat it Jon, start talking to him and asking him to squeeze your hand, I'm sure he'll respond, he's coming around fast. I'll be back in thirty, you guys relax and be patient okay!!" Beverly reached into her pocket and slipped Cory a cherry life saver, "Your favorite!" She whispered with a wink. Cory popped the candy into his mouth, smiling ear to ear, "She's delightful!!" he exclaimed out loud. John leaned in and grasped Shawn's hand in his own, "Hunter!! Let me know your in there kiddo, give me a sign!!" John pleaded with the still boy, to no avail. Sighing he shook his head in defeat. Amy leaned over and placed her arm around the frustrated man.
Amy rose and stretched her tired legs, placing her arms around Cory's shoulders; she leaned in and lovingly gave him a squeeze. "Come on handsome, lets say you and me take a walk to the gift shop and stock up on candy and magazines." Cory smiled and took his mothers hand, leaving Jon alone with Shawn. The room was quiet, except for the sounds of the machinery. Jon was starting to loose his cool, he was about ready to give up when finally Shawn began to stir. The boy's serene expression darkened, he furrowed his brow. Shawn grasped aimlessly at the blankets by his side, shifting uncomfortably. Jon's jaw dropped in shock; he scrambled for Shawn's hand. "Easy, easy does it kiddo, it's okay, and you're okay!!" Jon worriedly reached for the call button, holding tight to Shawn, who was visibly becoming more and more uncomfortable. Beverly hurried through the door, "What's up Jon?" She asked, taking her stethoscope from around her neck.
"He's thrashing around pretty good, I think he's in pain, can't you do something??" Jon pleaded, softly grabbing Shawn's hands as they randomly reached out to the air. The boy's eyes remained shut tight, while he weakly writhed about. "He's going to be very uncomfortable and really disoriented, just talk to him and try to calm him down a bit, I'll page the doctor." Beverly took a quick set of vitals and snatched the phone up; dialing swiftly, within moments Doctor Fleisher was heard being summoned to the ICU.
Amy and Cory were just about to enter the room, when Jon caught sight of them. He hurried to the doorway, "Look guys, why don't you head to the café and grab some snacks okay." Jon anxiously stared at Amy hoping she would take his cue and keep Cory away from the room a bit longer. Amy glanced over John shoulder and glimpsed Beverly struggling with Shawn, "Good idea, Come on Cory, lets go grab a bite." Amy turned Cory toward the door as the boy stretched to see into the room, "No, I'm not hungry, what's wrong...What's happening??" Amy forcibly ushered the frightened teen from the room. Doctor Fleisher rushed past them, pulling the drape closed behind him. Jon could hear Cory pleading, Amy leading him down the corridor. He quickly returned to Shawn's side.
"John get around and get in close to him, talk to him, try to get him to calm down. Doctor Fleisher leaned in and grasped Shawn by the wrists, "Shawn, relax son...steady...steady..I need you to relax..." Shawn looked as though he wanted to scream, but helplessly couldn't make a sound. Jon stroked his head and soothed, "Shhhh. It's okay Shawn, I'm here, open your eyes." Doctor Fleisher continued to coax Shawn into consciousness as Jon shook with anticipation. Before long both men were rewarded, Shawn's eyelids fluttered lightly, his eyes rolling about trying desperately to focus, "GOOD BOY!! FOCUS ON JON!!" Shawn clutched Jon's shirt and opened his eyes wide. Scanning the room in shock, his mind spinning in confusion, "Shawn, can you hear me??" Jon questioned as he rubbed the boy sympathetically on the arm. Doctor Fleisher smiled and introduced himself as Shawn peered at the three in horror. In a soft and soothing voice, Jon explained to Shawn that he was in the hospital and he was in good hands.
A few tears fell from Jon's eyes while he consoled the very frightened boy. Doctor Fleisher quickly took over and began to examine Shawn extensively; he tested his reflexes and peered into his eyes. He asked Shawn a series of questions and instructed him to answer by lightly squeezing his hand or blinking. Shawn complied politely obviously overwrought with pain. Both The Doctor and the nurse continued to treat Shawn as Jon was ordered to wait outside, his heart broke to leave the boy looking so scared and shaken, but he had to follow the Doctors orders, he stepped out, his hands shaking a mile a minute.
John leaned up against the wall outside the ICU, Amy and Cory joining him in the hall. Cory's face was stained with tears, while Amy's expression tense and rigid. "What's going on, what's the matter, Mr. Turner?" Cory questioned, his voice cracking with fear. "Nothing, Nothing's wrong, just calm down. It's okay, Shawn is conscious, he's awake, but he got real scared and he's hurting pretty bad, we just didn't want you to see him like that, the Doctor is with him and they're going to take good care of him, I'm sorry we scared you, we didn't mean it." Jon patted Cory on the back as the boy released a few quick sobs. The three anxiously waited for word from the Doctor.
Meanwhile as the snow fell heavily outside, Chet was lead into Lock-up in shackles. The Detectives leading the search for him anxiously met him in the station's interrogation room. After declining his right to an attorney several times the man just wanted to get it all off his chest. He collapsed in relief on the steel table as the police informed him that Shawn was alive and slowly making a recovery across town. Tears fell from his eyes, dripping onto the table before him. The detective placed a tape recorder and microphone in front of the guilt ridden man, who began confessing in lurid detail, his pitiful actions of a few days ago. His voice heavy with remorse, he painted a grim picture as the tape captured every sorrowful word. Kelly Krause, from DHS eavesdropped outside the room, watching the scene unfold behind the two-way mirror.
Doctor Fleisher emerged, smiling broadly. He greeted the shaken trio. "He's doing fine, as soon as some test results come in from the lab, we can administer pain medication, we have a rush on them, so he won't be uncomfortable for too much longer. All his senses seem to be sharp and his vitals signs are good. He is experiencing some memory loss and disorientation, which is normal for this kind of trauma; it will come back in time. I've ordered an Arterial Blood Gas for Shawn tomorrow at six, if the test comes back good, we'll take him off the respirator right away, until then he can't speak, I can tell that's going to be very hard on him, so do your best to keep his mind occupied." Jon nodded as the Doctor continued.
"He is very weak, so he may want to sleep most of the day, if he does, let him, he needs all the rest he can get, to get his strength back. We'll keep the feeding tube in him for a few more days until he can breathe easy on his own, then we'll get him started solid foods"
The Doctor returned to his rounds, Amy, Cory and Jon rushed almost giddily back to Shawn's side. Nurse Beverly was still with him trying hard to help Shawn relax through his pain. Jon crept up next to him, beaming with glee as the boy glanced up at him. Shawn managed a weak smile, Jon leaned in and grabbed his hand, "Hey buddy, you sure gave us a huge scare!!" Shawn silently stared at Jon with tired eyes, trying desperately to stay focused on his face.
Amy leaned in and kissed Shawn gently on the forehead. Shawn winced and closed his eyes tightly. He grasped the bedrail hard, unable to hide his misery. Jon glanced at Beverly, his expression wracked with anxiety. Cory backed away, stiff with worry. Amy interrupted, "Look it's going to be a long hard night, maybe it's best if we leave Shawn alone until he's feeling better, I don't think he's up for company right now." The nurse and Jon both nodded, Cory sighed, visibly disappointed. The Matthews left the room hand in hand, Shawn barely noticed their departure, he was much too preoccupied with pain.
Jon set his mind to the task at hand, it was hard to watch Shawn struggle, but he jumped right in and did his best to help. Placing a leg up onto the bed he leaned in and wrapped his arm around Shawn firmly. The boy welcomed him with desperation, resting his head upon Jon's chest. Shawn reached countless times for the ventilation tube secured to his mouth, but never got hold of it; Jon finally felt the need to hold his hands for a while. "I can't imagine what your going through, buddy, but I'm here, we'll take it minute by minute, you just lean on me and we'll get past this." Beverly hurried back with a small syringe, injecting Shawn's IV, "This will help ease the pain enough for him to get some rest." She disposed of the remnants in the small red container mounted to the wall. Within minutes Shawn felt heavy against Jon, his eyelids drooped sluggishly until they closed permanently, his arms limply resting within Jon's strong grip. The weary man wriggled out from under Shawn as Beverly situated the boy back into the center of the bed.
"You did great, Teach!! Bravo!!" Jon smiled and shook his head, "This is going to be harder than I thought it would." Jon commented, plopping into his usual red leather seat, next to Shawn. Beverly dimmed the lights so the room was dark and peaceful. She adjusted Shawn's blankets and tidied the carts and medication trolleys in the room. She and Jon exchanged small talk as Shawn slept fairly sound. Jon surprisingly confided in her with much detail about his rocky relationship with Shawn and his family. He explained his plans to make Shawn a permanent part of his life. The two talked into the night, stopping on occasion to tend to Shawn, who was having an extremely restless time.
Eventually Jon gave way to his weariness and fell into a deep sleep, curled up in his chair. Beverly remained sharp, checking and rechecking Shawn's progress, dressings, medications, the myriad of monitors, machines and lines sustaining the fragile boy at the center of it all. Close to morning Shawn woke once again. His eyes darting back and forth as he soaked in his surroundings, his mind a bit clearer then before. He caught sight of Jon sleeping beside him and smiled. Beverly approached; reaching gently she took Shawn's arm and checked his pulse. "Feeling a little better?" Shawn rolled his eyes and silently nodded.
His neck stiffened as he searched for a more comfortable position, obviously annoyed with the respirator. "Don't you worry, were going to get rid of that thing tomorrow, hopefully." Shawn toyed with swallowing and taking a few deep breaths. The pain and pressure still overwhelmed him, but he was managing and controlling it like a pro. Beverly occupied the boy with a one way conversation as time slowly passed. She told him all about the surgery and what's been happening since he arrived. She filled him in on his visitors and well-wishers. She raved about Jon and how he hasn't left Shawn's side throughout the entire ordeal. Shawn took comfort in her words and nodded in and out several times during the night, finally dawn greeted him as the doctor arrived with good news, time to pull the breathing tube. Jon was asked to again leave the room, reluctantly he complied and paced about outside.
After a half an hour passed, the Doctor emerged with a smile. "Tube's out and he's doing fine. He'll be in a lot of pain for a while, but he's breathing all right on his own. He's passing a lot of blood through the chest tube, but it's probably because of all the moving around he's doing, we'll monitor it closely, but he's progressing very well. He'll be on oxygen for a while until his lungs get stronger and heal a bit more. Make sure he keeps the mask on at all times and very little talking, his throat will be very sore and the muscles may spasm. The tube passed right through his vocal chords, so his voice will be extremely raspy, it's all very normal. I'll return after lunch to check on his progress."
Jon shook the doctors hand and was just ready to return to the room as Kelly Krause approached, "Jon, I have some news, Chet turned himself in to the police yesterday, he was arrested and booked. He confessed to everything. He's scheduled to be arraigned today at nine; the police and counsel expect him to plead no contest to all charges. He could be sentenced as soon as tomorrow morning. I'm here to break the news to Shawn." Jon leaned in on the wall and sighed in aggravation, "I don't think he could handle this just yet, can't we wait to break it too him, he's been through so much already?" Kelly placed her briefcase on the floor and folded her arms; "I don't think we should keep this from him Jon. By the way, we got a verbal agreement from Chet and Shawn's other relatives that they wouldn't contest your petition for adoption, with the exception of his biological mother, who can't be located."
Jon's mind swirled, his knees felt weak as he processed the information before him. Frankly it was a bit more than he could even take at the moment. "Look, lets grab a cup of coffee and go over this, I have some forms for you to sign as well..." Jon shook his head, "No, No way!! I got to get back to Shawn; his health is my top priority right now!! I'm his legal guardian and I say no. I assure you Kelly, I will tell him about his father and we will discuss the adoption, but now is not the time. Leave the forms with me and I'll go over them this afternoon and get them back to you ASAP." The young woman reluctantly handed over the forms and closed up her case. Turning to leave, she stopped "I'll call in with more information on Chet when I have it. We can't proceed with the adoption until we get an interview with Shawn, Don't delay Jonathan, please time is of the essence here." The two exchanged stern glances as Jon returned to Shawn.
His heart nervously thumped inside his chest. "This is it", Jon thought to himself, "the moment I've been waiting for." Jon lightly treads into the room. Shawn was laying quietly, the respirator a memory, replaced instead with a hard plastic oxygen mask. Jon crept in and sat in his chair, just as he was quietly lowering the rail, Shawn stirred, their eyes met, he smiled and weakly reached out for Jonathan. Jon broke down with emotion. He moved close, only inches from Shawn's ear, whispering lightly, "Welcome back, I was terrified I would never see you again..."
