Chapter 2- I'd rather have a Teddy Bear
Mercer House-
"Wait, so Jack has a kid?" Angel asked Bobby over breakfast the next day.
"Yeah, we need to go over soon," Bobby said, referring to Mrs. Waits's office.
Bobby took a few sips from his glass of orange juice and then he grabbed his coat.
"Hey Sofi! I'll be back soon," Angel yelled.
"Angel, where are you going?" Sofi shouted from the upstairs bathroom as she heard them slam the front door closed.
Angel entered the passenger's side of Bobby's car, "So how did this happen?"
Bobby started the engine and drove down the street, "Musta been when Jack and his band started to tour. Remember right after his graduation?"
"Yeah. Does he know?"
"Mrs. Waits says he does, I don't think so."
After the twenty minute drive, Bobby pulled into a space right in front of the child services building. Angel watched as a blonde haired woman carried a toddler swiftly across the parking lot.
"Hey, do you know what the kid looks like?" Angel asked Bobby who had just turned off the car.
"She looks like Jack."
"Ha ha, very funny. What does she look like?" Angel asked as Bobby walked towards the entrance of the building.
Bobby ignored his brother's question and rode the elevator up in silence. The woman at the front desk caught his eye and pointed to Mrs. Waits's office the way she had the day before.
"Come in gentlemen," Mrs. Waits greeted as a young woman and her child stood up.
"Good morning," Angel and Bobby said.
"This is Cynthia Cord, Grace's foster mother," Mrs. Waits introduced.
"Hello," Cynthia said shaking both of their hands nervously.
After they were all introduced, Mrs. Waits got down to business, "Now, I've called Ms. Cord in today so that you could meet the biological daughter of Jack Mercer and Rebecca Brooks."
"This is Grace," Cynthia said letting the little girl off of her chair.
"Hi Gracie, I'm your uncle Bobby" Bobby said holding out his hand.
The little girl made a face almost like she was going to cry.
"Hey Grace," Angel said watching her frown turn into an ecstatic smile as she threw her brown teddy bear to the floor.
Bobby looked as Grace and Angel laughed with each other.
"Ha, she likes me better," Angel said shaking Grace's little hand.
"That's because she thinks you're a giant chocolate bar," Bobby scoffed turning back to Mrs. Waits.
Angel shot him a disgusted look.
"Well gentlemen are you ready to sign the papers? Since Mr. Jack Mercer is not able to do so, you have the right to sign on his behalf," Mrs. Waits said pushing adoption papers at Bobby.
"Wait, you think we're here to give away our niece?" Bobby asked angrily.
"Calm down Bobby," Angel said.
"No. Look Mrs. Waits, we want to take Grace home. We're her family and she belongs with us. Jack doesn't even know about her yet," Bobby scolded.
"Mr. Mercer, Ms. Cord has gotten in touch with your brother who has given her verbal permission, all you need is written permission from you."
"She lied!" Bobby yelled standing up quickly while Grace started to cry.
"Lower your voice, your scaring her!" Cynthia said holding the little girl in her arms.
"My brother would never do this Mrs. Waits, believe me. Let us take Grace with us and you'll see that Jack would've never wanted to give her up for adoption. I swear he doesn't know about her," Bobby said sitting back down in his chair.
"Ms. Cord did you really contact the birth father?" Mrs. Waits asked.
Bobby and Angel stared at her, "No, but I know after what he did to my best friend he doesn't deserve this child!" she shouted while covering Grace's ears.
"What do you mean what he did to her?" Bobby asked her getting annoyed by her antics.
"Your brother got Rebecca pregnant at some rock concert while he was dead drunk. He never returned her phone calls, he probably doesn't even know her name. I've taken care of Grace since her mother died, I know he doesn't want her," she cried holding Grace and rocking her gently.
"You don't know that lady," Angel said gruffly.
"I'm sorry Ms. Cord but you've lied to me and I must now return the child to her father's family. When Mr. Jack Mercer is well enough to make a legal decision on the placement of the child, you will be notified," Mrs. Waits said motioning for Cynthia to hand grace over to one of the Mercers.
"No, I won't let you take her," Cynthia cried as Angel took the screaming child out of her arms.
"Lydia at the front desk will show you where you can get a child car seat for her. Good day gentlemen," Mrs. Waits said wheeling herself to the door to let them out.
Cynthia passed Bobby and Angel angrily jogging to the elevator. Angel followed Lydia to get a car seat for Grace and Bobby went to go start up the car.
"How do you work this thing?" Angel asked Bobby.
"There's instructions on the side, retard," Bobby sighed.
Grace giggled wildly as Angel frowned, "You think that's funny?" he asked as he buckled her in.
Angel closed the back door and slid into the passenger side seat.
"What are you doin?" Bobby asked him before he pulled out, "Sit in the back with her."
Angel scoffed and sat next to Grace, "Ted-die," she said pointing to Angel's face.
Bobby laughed, "We left her teddy bear in Mrs. Waits's office, but that's ok, looks like she's found a replacement."
"Shut up," Angel said kicking the back of Bobby seat.
"You can't be sayin that shit anymore, there's a kid in here," Bobby said realizing he had just cursed.
Jerry's house-
"Jack's daughter?" Jerry asked Bobby and Angel who had stopped over with Grace.
Grace was playing with Amelia and Daniela, Jerry's two children.
"Yeah, she's almost three. Her mom died in a car accident two weeks ago," Angel said.
"Oh God," Jerry sighed wiping his forehead.
"Seems like her mother's best friends Cynthia, lied sayin that Jack knew about Grace and that he said it was ok for her to adopt Grace," Bobby said keeping an eye on Grace who was playing.
"So what now? You two are playing Mr. Mom?" Jerry chuckled.
"We were thinking about taking her over to the hospital, if Jack's feelin better that is," Angel said.
"Your just gunna go up to his bed and be like, this is yours?" Jerry asked.
"Why not," Bobby asked blankly.
"Yall crazy. He's been through hell the past couple of days, give him another week," Jerry said as Grace tittered towards Angel.
"Ted-die!" she exclaimed pulling at Angel's pant leg.
"Go play over there and play," Angel chuckled blushing.
"Ted-die!" she yelled pulling him the direction where she and the girls were playing.
"Looks like you should go Mr. Cuddles," Jerry laughed.
Angel grinded his teeth together in embarrassment.
"If we take her down there, one of us should at least see if he ready to talk," Jerry told Bobby.
"I agree, let's go."
After Angel strapped Grace into her car seat, Bobby drove to the hospital and Jerry followed them in is Volvo.
Hospital-
"Give me something damnit!" Jack yelled as the doctor examined him.
"Mr. Mercer I told you we can't give you any more drugs until you get off all the morphine," Dr. Lane told him.
"Fuck it! Then give me more morphine!"
"You should try to calm down or your body will go into shock again."
Jack tried to calm down but he was in to much pain. His chest felt heavy, his leg was itchy and painful in its tight cast, and he had a severely bad headache.
"Pleas doc, I feel like shit right now," Jack said as nicely as he could.
"Fine I'll have the nurse give you one more milliliter of morphine but that's all," the doctor said scribbling the order down on Jack's chart.
"Thanks doc," Jack sighed in relief.
Five minutes later a nurse rushed in and read Jack's chart.
"What?" she said scratching her head.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked.
"I don't know how much morphine to give you, the doctor wrote it in chicken scratch."
"I heard him say ten," Jack lied.
"Ten milliliters?" the nurse asked him.
"Yeah, sounds right," he said.
"Ok, be right back," she said scurrying out of the room.
A minute later he heard a knock on the door, "Jack?" Bobby called.
"Come in Bobby," Jack groaned.
"Hey, how you feelin?"
"Couldn't be better," he smiled and said sarcastically.
"If you're up to it, we brought something," Bobby smiled.
"Excuse me," the nurse said, walking past Bobby to administer Jack morphine and heighten his bed.
After she was done Jack moaned happily, "Thank you nurse," he chuckled.
"Jack you ready?" Bobby asked.
"Bring it in," he said sitting up on the bed.
Angel walked Grace in by holding her hand as she tried to run but kept stumbling.
Jack looked at the little girl funny, "Usually people bring flowers, get well balloons, or stuffed animals," he said resting his head back on the bed.
"Ted-die," Grace yelled squeezing Angel's hand.
"Who is she?" Jack asked Bobby.
"Um, she's your daughter Jackie," Bobby said firmly.
Jack laughed, "I'd rather have a teddy bear but thanks guys."
Jerry finally entered the room, "Did you tell him?"
"Tell me what?" Jack asked casually.
"Jack, this really is your daughter," Angel said lifting Grace up to his bed.
He stared at her for a second, "No it's not, she doesn't look anything like me. Stop playing around."
Bobby, Angel, and Jerry looked at each other, "Jack, this is Grace. Her mom died two weeks ago and her best friend says that you're her father," Bobby said.
"Get her out of here," Jack said.
"But..." Angel said holding Grace in his arms.
"Get her out of here!" Jack yelled as he grabbed at his chest.
Angel took Grace out of the room.
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