Chapter XIV- Will He Come Home?
Kris, Pablo, and Junior all burst in through the Ritter's door; all shouting questions. Jean and Todd just sat there. Jean became teary eyed and that's when Dani burst through the door. She totally ignored everyone in the room and went straight for Jean. "Is he going to be okay? Are you going to be okay? Please tell me everything is going to be okay." Dani said half in tears.
"Dani, how much I want to tell you that everything is going to be okay I can't. I can't there is no way to know. The chopper left a little while ago. I just couldn't bring myself to go. I couldn't go in the chopper and I just haven't brought myself to go yet."-Jean
Taking Jeans hand and standing up; now completely in tears; Dani told Jean they should go to the hospital. "I have a car waiting outside, we should go. We need to be there for him."
"Your right. Is everyone going to be okay?"-Jean
"We will be fine Jean. Call us when everything is okay and we will bring Todd over…"-Pablo
"No! I want to go now. I miss Matt. I need to be with my mom! I am the man of the house now and I am going to act like it. I am going to be strong for you mom. I need to be strong." Todd was screaming at first but then his voice seemed to get lost in his sobs. Jean held him. She loved her son but there was nothing she could do but hold her youngest son.
Watching this and still not knowing exactly what happened, Kris collapsed into Junior's arms crying. She didn't want to lose the biggest confidante she ever had. Junior was already weak. Matt was his best friend. He couldn't hold Kris anymore. They sat on the couch and watched Dani, Todd, and Jean walk out the door. They would go when they were ready. Kris was crying and Junior kissed her head. He began to tear but he couldn't let Kris see that. Kris drifted off, she wasn't tired but crying took a lot out of her. When she woke up she was sitting in a hospital chair. Todd was sitting next to her waiting for her to wake up. He seemed okay but when their eyes met he started crying, the he couldn't stop. Kris held him. She knew what had happened.
Matt was gone. "I can't handle being man of the house Kris. I can't. My dad left, my brother left, I am going to be tempted to go. I can't leave my mom. She doesn't deserve this. I hate Matt, I hate him. How could he expect us to go on without him? Why did he have to be so stupid?" Todd just let it all out. Kris sat there still stunned. She heard Todd's sobs, she even heard Jean's and she believed she heard Pete's. They just seemed so far away. All she could hear, loud and clear, was the only thing she didn't want to hear. The sounds of machines trying to keep Matt's heart going. Then she heard Matt's heart beating loud and clear, than it got weak and stopped. Kris decided she needed to see him. Make him some back to her. She needed him and she wouldn't let him leave. Todd was right. How could he be so stupid and leave them all like that? She got up and started running. She didn't know where but something told her to turn left. She saw Junior crying in the hallway and when he saw her he knew. She needs to see him. He opened the door to the room and Kris ran in. She saw him lying there, so helpless, so lost and gone. There was nothing she could do. She fell to her knees and closed her eyes. She then opened her eyes again and realized…