Ch 11 

Same Disclaimer applies. Filanvampire….This one's all yours!

"Why? Why would you give up your wings?"

Tobias sighed again.

"Despite the fact that I could morph out of it, my hawk morph was getting older and older. Remember, I acquired a full-grown red-tail when we first got the power. Of it weren't the kidney failure, it would have been something else, like liver failure, cancer, or

blindness that would have caught up to me. So they stood there, with AK-47's and made sure I stayed human past 2 hours. The government's official policy is that they can't afford to lose any more Animoprhs. We're too valuable."

Both Jake and Tobias were silent after that. Rachel was on both their minds.

"I guess we're both stuck as something we don't want to be, huh?"Jake tried to joke.

"Bad joke man, you're no Marco." Tobias leaned back in his chair again.

"I mean. I don't mind being human, but. I guess…what I realized…is that life goes on…"

Jake still wasn't sure whether Tobias had forgiven him completely. Tobias's willingness to follow him into Kelbrid Space, and staying with him throughout this whole ordeal…but Rachel was Tobias's only reason for being human.

"I loved her too, man. She was my cousin too." Jake said softly.

All Tobias could do was tilt his head back. Jake tried to understand, but he would never know how it felt to lose the one he loved forever.

He then noticed two pictures of a little girl in a frame. Jake's mom had put the pictures of Rae on display for everyone to see.

"Who is that?" Tobias asked.

"Huh?" Jake asked, confused.

"The girl in the picture."

Jake smiled his slow smile.

"That's my daughter, Rachel."

"YOU have a daughter?" Tobias said, puzzled."When? How?"

"Before we left…Cassie and I…did it…"

"She's so cute, Jake," Tobias said as he turned the picture over in his hands. His heart stopped for a split second. He could even see some of Rachel in Rae.

Yeah, he'll never understand.

Marco popped his head in the door.

"Yo, yo,"

Tobias turned around, put the picture frame down, and walked over to Marco. Then they slapped hands. Marco came over to the bed and rubbed Jake's head playfully.

"What's up guys? Tobias, I got everything you need. My place in San Fran is set up, you can stay there as long as you'd like until you get back on your...uh...feet…we'll go shopping for some clothes, you're gonna be hooked up, man."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Especially the clothes part." Tobias was still standing there in his morphing outfit.

And like clockwork, Jake's parents followed Marco into the room, along with one of Jake's doctors and a psychiatrist.

"Hey honey," Jean kissed her son's head. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little," Jake lied. The injuries that he sustained were really starting to catch up with him. Even breathing hurt.

"We brought you something to eat," she continued, giving him a takeout bag. "A cheeseburger with some fries, and orange juice. Your doctors wouldn't allow me to give you any soda."

"Thanks," Jake muttered weakly. Jean took to the task of cutting up the hamburger so that he could eat it easily.

"Son, your mom, your doctors, Marco, and I all sat down and talked about your situation. We believe that we've come up with the best plan for your treatment and recovery.  You're scheduled to be released in 2 weeks. You're going to come home with us, and stay downstairs in the den. From there, you'll go to outpatient physical therapy every day. We've also enrolled you in GED classes 3 times a week. This really is the best option. We'll have access to world-class medical care. When I'm home, I'll look after you, but when I'm at my practice, we'll send over one of my nurses to check on you. And, of course, your mom works from home, so someone will always be around, in case of any emergencies. We also want to get you set up with a psychiatrist. One of my old pals from med school is specially trained with treating the differently abled-

Differently Abled.

Jake stopped eating.

Is that all anyone saw him as anymore? All these decisions, where he would live, when he would go to school, hell, even if he'd take a bite out of his cheeseburger, were being made without him.

Suddenly, the physical pain in his body started turning his emotions into a hot boil.

"Why don't you just come out and say it, Dad?" Jake spat.

"Say what, son?" Steve asked.

"You KNOW what I'm talking about. Stop with all this differently abled shit. Just come out and say it. Call me a gimp. A cripple.  A freak. Just stop pretending that you care."

"Jake, we're trying to do what's best for you. Of course we care-"

Jake cut off his mom.

"You don't care about me. You're putting on a show. Where were you after Tom and Rachel died, huh? You didn't even SPEAK to me. I was worse than the devil in your eyes. Well guess what? If I hadn't given that order, we'd be sitting around with slugs in our brains. Or we'd all be dead. Though, that might be better than living with you again. You two were always clueless. You cared more about your doubles ranking than the fact your sin was spending too much time with the Sharing." The tone in Jake's voice was venomous.

Steve sighed.

"Jake, this is a difficult time-"

"You're goddamn right it's difficult! I can't even fucking breathe without pain. You have NO IDEA what I'm going through. And what about Rae? How am I going to see her? Or did you plan that out with Cassie too?"

"Jake, man, chill out!" Marco went over to his side.

"I won't chill out! You're trying to take e away my daughter! The one good thing in my life! You won't take her from me!"

"Jake! Please!" Jean begged.

"You're all against me! He continued to yell, "GET OUT! GET THE FUCK OUT! NO ONE CARES! NO ONE CARES ABOUT ME!" The machines surrounding Jake started to blink and whirr faster.

The psychiatrist stood up.

"Why don't we give CPT Berenson some time alone?"

While everyone was filing out of the room, the psychiatrist pulled Jake's main doctor and Steve over to the side.

"I want to give him some Thorazine to sedate him, and why don't we try some Prozac. You were telling me about a history of depression, Steve, but there seems to be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and some anger management issues as well."

Jake couldn't hear a word. He was passed out from exhaustion