Chapter 8

The Teacher Teaches Again

As Topanga looked deep into Corey's ocean blue colored eyes, her lips began to quiver in sadness. "Corey, I wish I could believe you, but I just can't. I …I…can't risk it. I love you too much. If I believe you and you don't get help, your addiction will only get worse and I don't want to loose you." By this time she was gasping for every breath. There was a river of tears streaming from her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand to help quiet herself as she fell into his open arms. "I know, I know." He whispered into her ear.

As Amy and Alan sat quietly at the foot of Feeney's bed. They could not help but hear the conversation and crying that was taking place between Corey and Topanga in the hall. Neither one of them felt the urge to say a word. Their eyes glazed over and their lips felt as if they were glued shut. It had been so long that their throats were as dry as the sand in a desert. Amy had finally managed to let the tears dry from her eyes and the box of tissues had made their way from her lap to the tile floor on which her chair was sitting. Feeney continued to lay lifeless. His eyes closed and his right hand and forearm resting on his stomach. His wrist had tightly wrapped tape stretched around it holding sill an IV needle, which looked to be very painful. Every few seconds a beep as the hear monitor recorded his heart rate. That is when Amy's voice scratched as she attempted to speak, "Alan, I been thinking."

"Oh really. Me too. What have you been thinking about?"

"Corey"

"No surprise that is the same thing I keep thinking about."

"You know Alan. I thought we had raised him better than that. I never guessed in a million years that he would even think to do drugs."

"I know Corey was a good boy, I thought he knew better than that."

" I know he did. The more I think about the situation I think we might be wrong."

"Yep, wrong he doesn't know better."

"NO Alan, I mean I know that Topanga found drugs, but Corey is acting like the same old Corey. The Corey that we knew would never do something like this. Alan."

"Yes dear."

"I am confused. I am not so sure that Corey isn't telling us the truth."

"I hope you are right, but I am not so sure you are." That is when they heard a loud ear piercing beep. "OH MY GOD ALAN! LOOK!" Noticing the flat line on Feeney's hear monitor. "NURSE! NURSE! NURSE!" Alan screamed at the top of his lungs as Amy fell from his grasp, and he ran down the hall past Corey and Topanga.

Soon Corey joined the rest of the family in the waiting room down the hall. As he stood in the doorway he surveyed the room. Topanga was slumped over in the arms of Amy fast asleep. Her arms were loosely wrapped around Topanga and a crumpled up tissue was clutched in one hand. Alan was sitting in the seat next to Amy. His head was tilted back resting on the flower-covered fabric of the waiting room chair. He too was sound asleep. He quietly walked over to Topanga and took a seat next to her, and soon he was dozing off.

Several hours later the doctor was standing in font of them. "Mr. and Mrs. Matthews."

"Oh doctor. Everyone wake up. It is doctor Walker." He said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes then turned to Topanga and shook her shoulder. "Doctor how is he?"

"Well he suffered a fairly serious heart attack. But the good news is that I do believe that in time he should make a full recovery."

"Thank God!" Amy said as she clutched her hands together as if she were praying. "As soon as we get him moved to a different room you can go in and visit him."

"Thank you doctor."

They all waited for about another half an hour before venturing their way down to Feeney's new room, room 122.

They entered with caution not knowing if Mr. Feeney would even be awake. They filed in and gathered around his bed, "Corey, Topanga, Amy, Alan. Boy am I glad to see you all. What happened to me?"

"George, you had a heart attack. Good news, the doctor said he thinks that you will be just fine."

"Yeah, Mr. Feeney we are all really glad that you are ok. I am just glad that the druggie that hit you in the car wreck did not completely destroy your life and ours. " Topanga added as she directed her words toward Feeney, but her eyes took on a look of frustration and anger as the shot in the route of Corey who was standing directly next to her. Mr. Feeney watched as Topanga as her voice changed character when her eyes meet Corey's. "Uh thanks everyone. Could you all step out for a few minutes? I want to talk to Corey alone."

"Sure George, come on gang." Alan said as he made his way to the door and motioned them all out into the hall.

"Now Mr. Matthews."

"Yes Mr. Feeney."

"What was all that about?"

"What?"

"Well Mr. Matthews unless my memory is also failing, I don't remember Mrs. Matthews ever looking so angry with you. I just wonder if you know what all of that just a minute ago was all about?"

"You see Mr. Feeney it is all really a misunderstanding."

"Go on."

"It all started not to long ago when I was working at the restaurant. I got off that Saturday night and went to the ATM as usual. That is when I ran into some gang members that were unhappy with me. Just as they started to pull the trigger on me, the cops pulled around the corner. Next thing I know I wake up several hours later. Then as I limped home I noticed a small baggie with a funny colored substance in it. So I put it in my pocket and went home."

"Well did you tell Topanga?"

"No. I guess I should have."

"Anyway so I went to the University library to figure out what the substance was."

"Did you?"

"Yes, It was pot. That is when I got scared and hid it under my pillow, Topanga found it and now has my parents and herself convinced that I am a druggie."

"Oh my Mr. Matthews you got your self in deep this time."

"Tell me about it. I don't know how I am ever going to prove to them that I am not on drugs. I told them my story, but they don't believe me they just think that I am in denial about this drug problem. You know the one that I don't have."

"I see"

"Well Mr. Feeney do you think I have a drug problem?"

"Mr. Matthews I have watched you grow up, and I have been your teacher for a very long time. I know that you were never one of the select few I had to worry about when it came to things like this."

"So what are you saying?"

"I am saying that I believe your story as wild as it might sound. I know that you would never do anything like that. I also know you did not tell Topanga because you did not want her to worry. I can tell that you love her very much. Soon I think they will figure it all out. Corey you have to put yourself in Topanga's position. What if you found something like that under Eric's pillow. You might get so caught up and overwhelmed with the situation that you blow it way out of proportion instead of relying on yourself. He could tell you the truth a millions times but you have to listen. Topanga and your parents just are not listening and they are not letting themselves think rationally about the Corey that they know."

"So, uh Mr. Feeney I gotta ask."

"Yes Mr. Matthews."

"How come you did not over react?"

"Because I was not the one to make such a shocking discovery. Besides a frantic, upset, crying wife can make anyone over react to almost anything!" Mr. Feeney said with a chuckle.