Looking a little bit lost, Will Halstead glanced at Maggie.
"Uncle Connor", Owen sniffled unhappy, begging the doctor to come back. But the little boy only received worried views from Halstead, who stared at him overwhelmed.
All he wanted to do was holding this kid, telling him that everything was going to be okay and that it was over. For a minute he became jealous. Rhodes was always loved by the grade schooler while he felt like a mess, any time he had to take care of him.
Finally he decided to take a seat next to Owen.
"I'm really sorry, buddy. It must have hurt a lot", he said in a soothing tone, allowed himself to caress Owens head. To his surprise he didn't fight. He just turned his back and cried into his hands desperately.
Will kept stroking his hair, listening to his sniffles.
"None of us wanted to cause you pain. It just had to be done, to avoid bleeding and bad bruises. A wound like that would cause a huge scar", he talked more to himself until Owen said something that hit him pretty hard.
"I want my mommy", they heard him saying. Will and Maggie looked heart broken. Halstead who fought tears himself, sighed and nevertheless agreed by nodding.
"I know. I miss her too."
Owen turned around, risking to glance at Will.
Halstead slowly moved his other hand until he reached the little ones and embraced it with his.
"Owen, you're everything that is left from Natalie. And since I loved your mommy like I never loved someone you are important to me too. And nothing is gonna change that."
The 7 year old didn't reply, just stared at the wall…
CMDCMDCMD
"I'm glad you're back", Sam greeted Connor before she gave him a kiss.
"How was the rest of the shift?"
Rhodes shrugged his shoulders, put his bag on the floor.
"Nothing out of the ordinary. A 15 year-old suffering from meningitis and a punk who was hit by a car. Where is Owen?"
Sam pointed at the living room.
"He was waiting for you all night."
"I'm so sorry. I had to leave shortly after his treatment. I'm sure he's gonna hate me for causing him so much pain."
"Didn't look like it. He asked a lot about you."
"Really?"
Zanetti moved her head, while wadeling through the floor.
Connor sneaked to the couch, where Owen was lying in front of the TV. He was sleeping. He seemed pretty exhausted. His arms were wrapped around Patrick, his stuffed girafe. Sam gentely tucked him in again because his blanket had been fallen to the ground. Connor sat down, tenderly caressed Owens forehead.
Eventually he opened his eyes.
"Hey, little man. Are you still mad at me?"
"No."
Owen spreat his arms, like he showed Connor that he wanted to hug him.
Rhodes bent down, placed a kiss on his forehead, then started to tickle him.
The kid giggled, only stopped when he realized the pain in his arm.
"Ouch."
"You're okay?"
"It just hurts a little."
"Braveheart", Connor praised him.
"You know what? Since you're staying at home tomorrow and uncle Will is covering my shift, I'll be all yours."
Owen hugged Connor before he became silent.
"What about a Lego day? Building up your new castle. Or watching some films we gonna get from the shopping mal?"
He glanced at his foster parent seriously.
"Do you think there is a chance uncle Will might like me again?"
Connor took a seat next to him.
"Sure. I think he never stopped loving you. You know what is so special on a foster parent?"
"No."
"Shall I tell you?"
Owen nodded.
"Whatever you're doing. If it's breaking the neighbors glas with a footbal or getting a bad grade or making terrible things. We never stop loving you. Neither does uncle Will, right?"
"Yes."
Connor reached into his pocket.
"Look, what I got at safeway", he gave Owen the package.
"Spiderman Bandaids", he light up, pulling one out, before Connor put it on his arm.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Connor turned around when he noticed Sam arriving from the kitchen.
"Doesn't look like bed time, huh?" She murmured, but Owen smiled at her.
"See, what uncle Connor bought me", he showed Zanetti his arm.
Sam twinkled.
"Wow, I'm totally impressed."
Sam kneeled down, looked at Connor before she examined the stitched injury.
"Are you feeling better?", Sam asked in a concerning tone, that you rarely hear, because she normally seemed to be one oft he tough doctors.
Owen tiredly agreed by nodding, then snuggled by placing his head near her arm.
Zanetti drive her hand through his hair.
"You tell us, if you suffer from pain, right? We still got something left from the green magical liquid", she refered to the liquid pain killers, they gave him when he went home after his apendectomy.
Owen confirmed, crawling into Connors arms.
Obviously he was really affectionated and enjoyed the attention he received from both parents.
"When can we go back to the playground? I lost the bet. I promised Mike that I was the first one who reached the top of the monkey bars."
"That's why you fell?", Zanetti sighed, getting Owen to shrug his shoulders.
"I think after today we better skip further bets with your friend Mike for the upcoming weeks. We better reduce it on some inside house activities for the next days, until we remove the suture", Connor said.
"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."
Both parents looked at each other in surprise. Hearing that from a grade schooler was really confusing, despite that they suspect the reason for telling that.
"I should have been more careful."
"Owen, you're the one who got hurt pretty bad. Not us. Why are you excusing yourself, buddy?"
"Well, I don't want to cause trouble, because this enlarges the chance that you get sick of me and if that happens, you probably won't like me to stay here any longer and send me away to other foster parents."
Both grown-ups seemed speechless.
"This is ridicolous. Who told you that? We never would do that."
He was afraid to look Sam in the eyes, just started to mumble hesitantly.
"After my mom died and I stayed at this orphanage before uncle Will took me in... I got to met Steven. He had staied with 4 different foster families before. First he used to live with his stepdad and his new wife. They started fighting and finally his stepdad send him to children services and they never took him home again."
Rhodes narrowed his eyes to a small slit.
"That's why you're scared that the same could happen to you."
He didn't respond.
"Hey, that won't happen. I swear to you. Even if you don't get along with Will, what I don't think would last forever, there are still uncle Daniel, aunt Maggie, Sam and me. Not to forget about uncle Ethan. We're so many people, that are able to take such good care of you. There is no need to worry."
Hesitatingly Owen placed his hand on Connors shoulder, closed his eyes and squeezed his girafe, while Sam put the blanket above her boyfriend and foster child. Protectively Connor wrapped his arms around the grade-schooler.
"Good night, big guy. We love you", Rhodes whispered, before Owen fell asleep on his chest…