The cops were guarding Aaron's hospital room. Logan and Veronica stopped at the OR nurses' station. "Um, Aaron Echolls?" Logan questioned hesitantly.

The petite nurse behind the desk looked Logan up and down. "You gotta be family or police."

"I am. He's my dad."

"I.D." Logan fumbled through his wallet for his driver's license. Veronica kept a grip on one of his arms.

The nurse checked Logan's license and then nodded her approval. "Ok. Miss, you're going to have to wait out here. Mr. Echolls, come with me and I'll get one of the cops to let you in."

Veronica gave Logan's shoulder a reassuring squeeze and went to sit in the waiting room. Nothing she could do now except worry even though Jesus said not to.

"Is he conscious?" Logan asked the nurse as the two of them took off down the hallway.

"I'm not sure. But he made it through surgery. He's recovering but they couldn't keep him with the other patients in recovery so he's got his own room."

"His own, guarded room. Lucky him."

"Yes." She paused slightly. "I'm sorry. I know this is hard. I'll try to find his doctor to come talk to you, ok?" Logan nodded just as they approached his father's room.

Deputy Leo stood outside. "Logan."

"Leo. Is my dad awake?"

"I haven't been inside since they brought him back, kid. Why don't you just go and see for yourself?" Leo's tone was soft and gentle like always. He nodded at the nurse who took off back down the hall. Leo knocked on the hospital room door to alert the other deputy to let Logan in. The door opened slowly and deliberately.

"Sacks."

"Logan."

And there was Aaron, in a hospital gown in a hospital bed. Logan was surprised to see he wasn't handcuffed to the bed. Aaron looked a little pale. He had NC oxygen on and a chest tube draining blood into a bag at his side. He had a Foley in and some IV fentanyl surging into his vein. Otherwise though, he looked like he always had. The man was frightening even when asleep. He never looked relaxed and those around him could never relax.

"What's that tube for, Sacks?" Logan asked finally.

"Uh, I guess the bullet hit one of his lungs-not his heart. His left lung? The doc had to put that thing in surgically to help get the blood out. Removed the bullet, reinflated the lung and patched it up, I guess. Said he's pretty sure going to make it… Don't know if that's what you wanted to hear or not."

"No manslaughter for Duncan."

"Who we kidding? There's no way that boy was ever going to prison."

"Yeah. He's got a good family." And here lies mine.

"Logan, he's asleep but I think he's conscious. I can't leave the room but I promise to try not to pay attention if you want to talk to him."

"I just don't know what to say…" Logan's eyes searched Deputy Sacks' face for an answer.

"Maybe you won't know until you say it." That sounded about right. Logan approached the bed with the same caution he was used to having around Aaron. Maybe Aaron would be easier to talk to when he was doped up. His father had never done drugs as far as Logan knew… He was probably a lightweight compared to his son. But whenever Logan had taken drugs it was for a different kind of pain-alcohol was better at relieving that pain than acetaminophen was, that's for sure.

Logan touched his dad's arm-the one on the IV side, not on the chest catheter side. Aaron didn't stir. Logan pinched the arm. Aaron groaned a little. Sucking up all his might, Logan did the only other thing he could think of-the thing that would have gotten his ass kicked were Aaron up to ass-kicking.

He slapped his father hard across the face. So hard that the oxygen tubing came out of his nose.

Sacks cleared his throat from the other side of the room but Logan didn't even bother sparing him a glance. Aaron's eyes twitched open as he struggled to readjust his oxygen. "Logan? What the fuck, Logan? You hittin' me now?" His words sounded tired and drunk.

"Just paying you back a little for all the love you've shown me over the years. How's that lung feel?" Only on rare occasions was Logan brave enough to talk to his father like this.

"Your friend Duncan is dead when I catch him. You hear me-DEAD. And that Lilly bitch too."

"There's a cop in the room with us, you moron. You might want to rein it in."

"You, Logan…" Aaron broke off, starting to cough painfully. He struggled to keep his eyes open and fixed on Logan's face. Finally, when his wheezing had subsided a little, Aaron said: "You're not such a pussy when your old man can't fight back, huh?"

"No, I guess not. Well, it's been good to see you, Dad," Logan spit out the last word with venom. "Have a good rest of your life. I'm glad to see your near death experience hasn't changed you at all."

"Oh, what, you're not going to take care of me when I get out of this dump?" The sarcasm was dripping.

"You mean like you took care of Mom? NO, I'm not going to take care of you but-don't worry-I'm sure somebody will."

"Are you threatening me, boy?" Aaron didn't even bother denying his role in Lynn's death. Hell, if Sacks weren't there, he probably would have confirmed it.

"No, of course not, I'm not a killer. I'm just stating the obvious. Bye, Dad." Logan turned to walk out of the room when Aaron's shaky hand shot out and grabbed him by the elbow. It was a familiar grasp, but much weaker than it usually was. Logan easily shirked his father's grip but stayed still, waiting for what was to come next.

"Logan," Aaron sighed, his voice a near whisper. "Whatever happens to me, in here or out of here, just know that you are the only thing left in the world that matters to me. Just know that."

"Is that a threat?"

"No. That's a fact."

Logan, his eyes brimming with tears, finally looked back at Sacks. "So how're you going to pretend you didn't hear any of that?" Logan gave a halting little laugh and knocked on the door to be let out. Leo looked at him with sympathy and so did Sacks-Logan could feel the sympathy boring into the back of his head. However Aaron was looking at him, Logan wouldn't know. He left his father without turning back.

888888888888888

Logan went back to Veronica's house. He wanted to sleep for forever but forever wouldn't be long enough. Veronica put a blanket over him on the couch before falling asleep herself. They slept into the next day before Keith woke her up.

"Hey, Veronica…"

"Oh, hey. School?"

"Don't worry about it. Lamb still needs to talk to you guys-mostly to Logan, but I thought he could use your support." Veronica glanced over at Logan on the couch adjacent to hers. He looked peaceful and happy for the first time in an eternity. She just nodded her head. Her dad was right. Logan shouldn't have to go through this alone.

"Why don't you hop in the shower and I'll wake him up, ok? There'll be coffee waiting for you when you're done."

"Thanks, Dad. You're the best." He kissed her forehead. Veronica knew Keith was a great dad even without bothering to compare him to Logan's, but… Her heart ached for everything she had that Logan would never have. She shook off her pity and headed upstairs for the shower.

Keith studied Logan sleeping for a minute before steeling himself to wake the kid up. He didn't want Logan to face all the shit he would surely have to face-if only he could stay sleeping for forever.

"Logan-hey?" Keith tried but it didn't work. He was out like a light. Probably hadn't had a real night's sleep in ages. Keith touched Logan's arm and Logan's eyes opened with a start.

"Oh, hi, Mr. Mars. I forgot where I was…"

"You're here and you're welcome here as long as you need to be." One more year, until you graduate. But Keith couldn't say the words. He didn't want to make it sound like Logan didn't have a choice in the matter. Logan half-smiled to show his appreciation. He started to sit up on the couch and stopped, looking down.

"Is there any way for me to get some of my clothes? I don't really have money to buy new ones and these are about to start walking on their own…"

"I can loan you some of mine for today. I'll talk to the sheriff's office about getting your stuff this afternoon." Logan tried not to smirk-after all, he was a little taller than Mr. Mars and they didn't exactly share a sense of style. He might as well borrow Veronica's clothes.

So he just said, "Sure, thanks." Logan didn't want to sound ungrateful.

"You want some coffee Logan?" Keith asked, heading off to the kitchen to brew it.

"Alright, thanks. You Mars people sure drink a lot of that stuff."

"It's how we get all our spunky energy."

Logan smiled. "Right." It sort of made sense.

"Veronica's in the shower," Keith said. Logan tried not to think of Veronica in the shower. He focused on her dad.

"Um, Mr. Mars?"

"You can call me Keith if you want."

"Ok, Keith? What's going to happen to my d- to Aaron when he gets out of the hospital?"

"I honestly don't know, Logan. I think that's something you'd be better off asking the sheriff when you see him today."

"Thanks so much for letting me stay here. I always used to go to Duncan's when I had nowhere else to stay."

"When was that?"

"When my dad and I would fight." Logan had been working on distancing himself from his father by calling him Aaron but occasionally he forgot. "Sometimes he'd kick me out or sometimes I'd just have to leave." Logan realized he was the one who had brought up this topic of conversation. It was like he no longer felt Aaron had any hold over him. Even though he still had a black eye he felt safe and free and allowed to talk about it.

"Did he hurt you?" Logan thought for a second and then just nodded. It was easier that way.

Keith's face was overwhelmed with sorrow. "I'm sorry, kid."

"For what?"

"For not being there, for not realizing what was going on. For no one realizing what was going on. We all knew what he was like."

"Oh, no, it's… Anyway." Logan had no idea what to say. He was starting to stutter. "M-my mom tried to help when I was little, but…" Logan's hands shook even though he hadn't had any coffee yet. He couldn't really talk about his mom. "I guess he just broke her too."

"He didn't break you."

"You don't think?"

"No, of course not."

"Well, I had Duncan. He was a good friend. When we were twelve he told me you're supposed to tell someone if your dad is hitting you. So I told him. I mean, he had figured it out already so… He told me to tell an adult but I thought my dad would kill me so I never did. And I wouldn't let Duncan. And here we are now. Maybe if I had told on him my mom would still be alive."

"Don't think like that, Logan. This couldn't possibly be less your fault."

"I know. Really, I do. I just want her back."

"I know how you feel. I'd give anything to see Lianne one last time. Or even just to know why she did it. What was going through her head when she made that choice… It hurts not getting to say goodbye."

Keith and Logan shared a look of sympathy and for once Logan didn't mind it. Everybody goes through shit, he figured. Some of it worse than others. Logan had no immediate family left but that was good in a sick, sad way. He was free to move on. Aaron was living but Logan'd be goddamned if he ever set foot under that man's roof again. Logan's life was now his own.