~x~x~x~x~x~
Part Fifteen
~x~x~x~x~x~
"How is he?"
"Who?" Lita asked tiredly. "Shawn or Devlan?"
"Both." Jeff pulled her head onto his shoulder and began to gently rub circles on the back of her neck.
Lita sighed and relaxed into him. "Devlan's on the mend. He's still unconscious but the doctors are sure he'll wake up soon."
"And Shawn?" Torrie asked as she joined them, handing Jeff his coffee.
"He's a mess," Lita replied honestly, hearing the crackle in her voice. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She would not cry again. She had to stay strong. For Shawn. "From what I can gather, Shawn looked after Devlan on a day to day basis, but his father took his whenever his work permitted. I think he worked on the oil rigs." Lita sighed and sat up. "I can't get much more out of him, but."
"But what?" Torrie asked, shifting closer to Jeff as the young man put his other arm around her.
"I don't see how he can do it."
"Do what?"
"Jeff, he has to tell that little boy that his father is dead. And he's a mess. From what I figure, Devlan can't really have known his mother and now he's lost his father as well."
"But he has Shawn," Torrie said softly. "It's not the same, but if he lives with Shawn on a regular basis, he still has that normality."
"Li, what makes you think Devlan never knew his mother?"
"Because I'm pretty sure that Devlan's the reason that Shawn left the federation. For most of his life Shawn and his father must be all that Devlan has had. And now Shawn's alone." Lita wasn't able to stop the tears as Jeff pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.
"No, he's not, Lita. He's got you and we're all going to help him through this."
~x~x~x~x~x~
Shawn rubbed his eyes again, ignoring the pain. He knew they must be bright red, puffy and bloodshot, but that was the least of his worries. Devlan stirred again, mumbling incoherently, and if it wasn't for the bruise above his left eye and the scratch on his chin, Shawn could almost have believed he was simply sleeping happily. But he wasn't, he was injured and when he woke up he'd want to know where his dad was. And Shawn would have to tell him the truth.
The door behind him creaked and Shawn turned, expecting to see Lita returning from the bathroom. Instead, he found himself looking at Jeff Hardy. The younger man smiled sadly and closed over the door. He stepped towards Shawn and handed him a steaming cup of what smelled like coffee. Shawn took in gratefully and gulped some down, instantly regretting it.
"My God!" He choked.
"Espresso," Jeff said, with a slight smirk. "Thought you could use the caffeine."
Shawn raised his eyebrows. "An entire mug of it?" Jeff shrugged and Shawn shook his head with a small smile. "You are insane, Hardy."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." They lapsed into silence as Shawn sipped his coffee.
"How is he?"
Shawn took a deep breath. "He should be fine. The sedative should wear off within the next hour. And then.." Jeff placed a hand on Shawn's shoulder for a brief moment before nodding. "Where's Lita?"
"She's with Torrie. She's exhausted."
Shawn nodded. "I really appreciate you guys driving all this way, but you should go get some rest."
"We're not going anywhere, Shawn," Jeff said firmly, causing Shawn to look at him. "We're here for you, man, besides," he smirked. "If we even suggested it, Lita would castrate me."
Shawn smiled and shook his head. "She's a spitfire, all right," he said softly.
"Yeah, and in my capacity as Lita's sort of brother, I think you and I need to have a talk."
Shawn chuckled and shook his head. "Not much to say really."
Jeff snorted. "Yeah, right."
"What?"
"Michaels, you guys couldn't be any more obvious."
"You mean like you and Torrie Wilson."
"Hey! That's got nothing to do with this."
"Simply making appoint." Shawn smiled.
"Fair enough, point taken, but seriously, Shawn," Jeff said and Shawn looked at him. "If you hurt her.."
"You have my permission to beat the crap out of me."
"I wasn't really asking for permission."
"Point taken."
"But it's good to know I have it."
"Unca Shawn?"
The small voice shocked both men into silence; as the child on the bed wrinkled up his nose. For a moment, neither Shawn nor Jeff moved until Devlan opened his eyes.
"I'll go get the nurse," Jeff said quietly and quickly left the room.
"Unca Shawn?"
"I'm right here, buddy."
"I'm all sore."
Shawn held back his tears as best he could and reached out a hand to stroke his nephew's cheek. "I know you are, Dev."
The boy shuffled a little in his bed, sniffling as he encountered a bruise on his elbow before looking back up at his uncle, and almost immediately, Shawn knew what was coming.
"Where's daddy?"
~x~x~x~x~x~
End of Part Fifteen
~x~x~x~x~x~
Part Fifteen
~x~x~x~x~x~
"How is he?"
"Who?" Lita asked tiredly. "Shawn or Devlan?"
"Both." Jeff pulled her head onto his shoulder and began to gently rub circles on the back of her neck.
Lita sighed and relaxed into him. "Devlan's on the mend. He's still unconscious but the doctors are sure he'll wake up soon."
"And Shawn?" Torrie asked as she joined them, handing Jeff his coffee.
"He's a mess," Lita replied honestly, hearing the crackle in her voice. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She would not cry again. She had to stay strong. For Shawn. "From what I can gather, Shawn looked after Devlan on a day to day basis, but his father took his whenever his work permitted. I think he worked on the oil rigs." Lita sighed and sat up. "I can't get much more out of him, but."
"But what?" Torrie asked, shifting closer to Jeff as the young man put his other arm around her.
"I don't see how he can do it."
"Do what?"
"Jeff, he has to tell that little boy that his father is dead. And he's a mess. From what I figure, Devlan can't really have known his mother and now he's lost his father as well."
"But he has Shawn," Torrie said softly. "It's not the same, but if he lives with Shawn on a regular basis, he still has that normality."
"Li, what makes you think Devlan never knew his mother?"
"Because I'm pretty sure that Devlan's the reason that Shawn left the federation. For most of his life Shawn and his father must be all that Devlan has had. And now Shawn's alone." Lita wasn't able to stop the tears as Jeff pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.
"No, he's not, Lita. He's got you and we're all going to help him through this."
~x~x~x~x~x~
Shawn rubbed his eyes again, ignoring the pain. He knew they must be bright red, puffy and bloodshot, but that was the least of his worries. Devlan stirred again, mumbling incoherently, and if it wasn't for the bruise above his left eye and the scratch on his chin, Shawn could almost have believed he was simply sleeping happily. But he wasn't, he was injured and when he woke up he'd want to know where his dad was. And Shawn would have to tell him the truth.
The door behind him creaked and Shawn turned, expecting to see Lita returning from the bathroom. Instead, he found himself looking at Jeff Hardy. The younger man smiled sadly and closed over the door. He stepped towards Shawn and handed him a steaming cup of what smelled like coffee. Shawn took in gratefully and gulped some down, instantly regretting it.
"My God!" He choked.
"Espresso," Jeff said, with a slight smirk. "Thought you could use the caffeine."
Shawn raised his eyebrows. "An entire mug of it?" Jeff shrugged and Shawn shook his head with a small smile. "You are insane, Hardy."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." They lapsed into silence as Shawn sipped his coffee.
"How is he?"
Shawn took a deep breath. "He should be fine. The sedative should wear off within the next hour. And then.." Jeff placed a hand on Shawn's shoulder for a brief moment before nodding. "Where's Lita?"
"She's with Torrie. She's exhausted."
Shawn nodded. "I really appreciate you guys driving all this way, but you should go get some rest."
"We're not going anywhere, Shawn," Jeff said firmly, causing Shawn to look at him. "We're here for you, man, besides," he smirked. "If we even suggested it, Lita would castrate me."
Shawn smiled and shook his head. "She's a spitfire, all right," he said softly.
"Yeah, and in my capacity as Lita's sort of brother, I think you and I need to have a talk."
Shawn chuckled and shook his head. "Not much to say really."
Jeff snorted. "Yeah, right."
"What?"
"Michaels, you guys couldn't be any more obvious."
"You mean like you and Torrie Wilson."
"Hey! That's got nothing to do with this."
"Simply making appoint." Shawn smiled.
"Fair enough, point taken, but seriously, Shawn," Jeff said and Shawn looked at him. "If you hurt her.."
"You have my permission to beat the crap out of me."
"I wasn't really asking for permission."
"Point taken."
"But it's good to know I have it."
"Unca Shawn?"
The small voice shocked both men into silence; as the child on the bed wrinkled up his nose. For a moment, neither Shawn nor Jeff moved until Devlan opened his eyes.
"I'll go get the nurse," Jeff said quietly and quickly left the room.
"Unca Shawn?"
"I'm right here, buddy."
"I'm all sore."
Shawn held back his tears as best he could and reached out a hand to stroke his nephew's cheek. "I know you are, Dev."
The boy shuffled a little in his bed, sniffling as he encountered a bruise on his elbow before looking back up at his uncle, and almost immediately, Shawn knew what was coming.
"Where's daddy?"
~x~x~x~x~x~
End of Part Fifteen
~x~x~x~x~x~