Last chapter!. I'm so glad you all liked it, thank you for all your reviews and watch out for my new story (once I start writing it!)
Henry stopped at the door and ignored the cooling coffee in his hand as he watched his son through the window in the door. Shawn was lying in his hospital, shifting sleepily as he tried to find a more comfortable position. He winced as the movement jerked his shoulder, and he took a moment to just breath in an out until the pain faded into acceptable levels. Henry had been sitting at his bedside all night, watching his as he slept peacefully, worried that if he left then something would happen to Shawn and he wouldn't be there. Slowly Henry pushed open the door.
"Hey kid"
Shawn's head moved sluggishly in Henry's direction. His hazy eyes squinted as he tried to recognise the figure in front of him. "Heyy" He slurred.
"Enjoying the drugs?" Henry asked, amused.
"Hmm" Shawn answered with a nod of his head "S'nice"
Henry moved to sit in the chair by his bed "Well enjoy it well it lasts"
"What happened?" Shawn frowned.
"You don't remember?" Henry took a sip of the coffee, nearly spitting it out straight away at the awful taste.
He licked his cracked lips. "To Nick, what happened t'Nick?"
"He uh.." Henry began, placing the coffee on the beside table "He's in jail, he won't hurt you again"
Shawn nodded "Good" He leant his head back against the pillow.
Henry stared at his son. Wincing at the cut down his lip, the black eye and the stitches above it holding a cut together. His bad arm was in a sling to protect his shoulder from any movement. Even though he couldn't see it, the doctors had told him about the bruised ribs and kidney's, bruises shaped like a boot. His son had been kicked, punched, shot and could have bled to death. It had taken every bit of strength in his body to resist marching down to the police station and teach Nick a lesson. How could he have ever let that man into his home.
"Where's Gus?" Shawn asked, pulling Henry from his thoughts.
"He was here for a bit but he went home to get some sleep" Henry answered He said he'd bring some stuff back from your place" Shawn nodded. "He was a little shocked when I rung him up yesterday and told him you'd been beaten up and shot by a dirty cop who had been blackmailing you into staying quiet"
"Didn't want t'worry him" Shawn answered.
"When's that ever stopped you?" Henry replied with a slight smile.
"All the time" Shawn replied soberly. "I don't" Shawn started "I don't go looking f'danger" He explained
"No" Henry agreed "It comes looking for you"
"Dad-
"Shawn" Henry interrupted "I'm sorry"
Shawn's eyebrows shot up, he looked around the room "Did hell just freeze over?"
Henry glared at his son "I'm serious Shawn"
"Okay" He nodded, "Go on"
"I should have listened to you"
"Shoulda, woulda, coulda"
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means you can't change the past Dad, what happened, happened"
"That's just it Shawn, you've never given me any reason to distrust you and when you came for help I just treated you like…"
"It's okay Dad"
"No It's not!" Henry snapped. Shawn blinked at his dad, dumbfounded by the outburst. "I asked him why he couldn't be my kid"
Shawn swallowed "I remember"
"I didn't mean it"
"Then why say it dad?"
"Because there was this kid in my house that was everything I always wanted you to be"
"Well that makes me feel better" Shawn retorted.
"He was a slap in the face"
Shawn snorted "He certainly was"
"Shawn" Henry said impatiently "What I'm trying to say is….It's taken me a while to accept you for who you are and then suddenly Nick was there, reminding me what you weren't. I liked how much we had in common, talk, man to man"
"What am I? A mouse?"
Henry ignored him "I liked that I could share things with him that you wouldn't have enjoyed"
"Fishing, I understand, But poker with the old PD buddies?"
"That was self preservation, Don't forget I've seen you play poker, I don't think they would invite me again if you cleared them all out" Shawn grinned, "I really don't wish he was my son" Henry repeated a moment later.
"Really?"
"He could have killed you"
Shawn winced "I really don't need a reminder"
"Look, You may not be the cop I wanted you to be, but your close enough. You use what I taught you to catch criminals and you're not a dirty cop or anything so that's something"
Shawn frowned "Was that a compliment?"
"I think it's as close as you're gonna get" A third voice said. Shawn looked up and grinned at his best friend. Gus moved from the doorway and stepped into the room.
"Hey!"
"He drugged up?" Gus asked Henry.
"To the eyeballs"
"Hey! I'm lying right here, stop talking about me" Shawn moaned.
"Yeah, we should wait until he's asleep before we do that"
Shawn grumbled under his breath and tried to slouch under the covers, managing to knock his shoulder in the process. He scrunched up his eyes and bit his lip. Out of all the medication he was on, it had to be the pain medication that would wear off first.
"Gus, go get a nurse" Henry ordered.
"I'm fine" Shawn said through gritted teeth.
"No you're not" Gus nodded at Henry and left to go get a nurse. "Just breathe" Henry told his son.
"Easier…said…than done"
A second later a young nurse entered the room. "How are you doing Mr Spencer?"
Shawn nodded towards Henry "He's Mr Spencer, call me Shawn"
The nurse smiled "Okay Shawn, Here's something for the pain" Shawn watched relief as she pushed the needle into his IV and sighed in relief as he felt the medication begin to work. "It'll make him a little sleepy" She said as she did a quick check up. "I'll be back later with his dinner" The nurse told Henry before strutting out the room.
"Hey kid?"
"Hmm?" Shawn mumbled drowsily.
Henry stood up and leant over his son "you're my son, nothing's going to change that" He whispered. When Henry received no cocky reply he smiled.
"How is he?" Gus asked as he re-entered the room.
"Fast asleep" Henry replied as he took a sip from his stone cold coffee. .