Sorry, the little monster got me. His name is "Writers Block" what a jerk he is! Thanks for waiting!

Chapter 22

"I can't explain it folks, he has a couple bruised ribs, a mild concussion and a large number of bumps and bruises. The lacerations on his wrists need to be treated as burns and he has twenty stitches where he was cut with the knife. Now, the stitches are on the inside of his stomach and the outside. The ones on the inside will dissolve, and he will have to have the outer ones removed. He will need to be kept still for a while so he doesn't rip any of those stitches out. He's going to feel some pain, well, a lot of pain for a while, but he is going to be fine! Were going to hold him for about a week to be sure that he is ok and he doesn't have any complications." The doctor advised the people waiting. Angie had arrived shortly after the ambulance had gotten to the hospital. She had been sitting next to Dean and Doug gripping both of their hands tightly.

"What a relief…" she breathed a deep breath. She wrapped both arms around Doug and then Dean. She then grabbed Booker around his narrow waist for a hug. Booker looked down at the older women. His eyes flickered with a showing of relief. She reached up and brushed her hand along the officer's cheek. "You have both scared the breath out of me… but I'm glad you're okay. She smiled at Booker who leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Aunt Angie… you're the best." Booker stated back to the motherly women in front of him. Angie smiled a prideful smile back at the young officer. She felt such joy know the boys had done what they had been called to do. They had made her so proud.

"Can we see him" Penhall blurted out. He had been beside himself when he had found out the EMT's had been performing CPR on his best friend. He had choked back tears when he had seen the people pounding on the young mans chest. Angie and Booker had fought to hold the officer in the waiting room as the seconds ticked by felling like hours.

"You can see him, they are getting him settled into a room, but five minutes and that's it! He is in room 215. Remember in and out, he needs to get some rest.

"Yes Doctor!" the officers spoke in unison as they had zipped past him and down the hallway to the officer's room.

"Dean…" Angie's voice caught the officers attention, his eyes were blood shot from tear and lack of sleep.

"Let's give them a few minutes and then we will go get them and say hi." He smiled back at his wife.

"Ok baby." She nodded in agreement.

"Dean…" The doctor caught Dean Miller's attention.

"Yes doc." He answered.

"You have a good group of boys here." He smiled back at Dean.

"I know…" Dean answered the doctor smiling in return. He knew they were good boys. Hanson, Penhall, and Booker had stepped up and taken a huge case on. They had surprised him with how well they had done. He had been skeptical of the whole Jump Street program, but he stood corrected. Complete strangers came in and put their lives on the line for kids they had not even known. They had been bullied, beaten and kidnapped; but the end result… they had arrested twenty plus students and put a stop to the fear of a lot of students. How could he ever repay these boys for what they had done to help? He wished that they would be able to keep the boys with them, but he also knew they had lives and a job awaiting them in the city. Perhaps it was time to talk to Angie about adopting a child… perhaps…

"Let's go babe." Angie stated with a wink. She caught Dean's eye and the officer smiled back. They walked hand in hand down the hallway to Hanson's room.

--

"Hanson…" Penhall's fingers brushed the sleeping officer's hair off of his brow. Tom's eyes fluttered open as he felt a hand take his hand in their own.

"Doug?" Hanson's voice was very hoarse as he spoke.

"Yeah Tommy…" He answered. Penhall felt a tear run down his cheek as the emotions of the day flooded over him again. Fear had taken him over as he remembered how he felt when he had been told Hanson was missing and the terror as they watched a teenager run a knife into his friend. The emotional trauma was so much to carry. He thought that he was going to loose Tom and then with all he and the others had seen when the medic's had wheel the stretcher into the hospital from Dean's SUV. "Dennis is here too." Penhall added his voice hushed and gentle.

"Good…" Hanson added. His voice trailed off as his eyes drooped and closed again.

Penhall laid his partners hand down at his side when he heard the door open behind him, turning he watched Dean and Angela Miller walk into the room together. Her bright eyes dimmed in despair as she saw looked at Hanson lying helpless in the bed. She stood by her husband for a moment clutching his hand and rubbing his shoulder. Dean pulled his hand out of hers and wrapped his protective arm around her shoulder. She looked up at her husband and the two stepped towards the young officers.

"How is he… Doug?" Angie asked as she swallowed hard, the look of concern spreading across her face. She could see his handsome youthful features shrouded with bruises and cuts. She moved over to the bed to where the officer lay sleeping. She brushed her fingers across his face and then took his other hand. He had a three small butterfly bandages at the corner of his lip and a larger Band-Aid on his forehead just above his right brow. Her heart melted as she heard the big man standing next to her take a ragged breath. She looked up at Doug who looked back down at her. There were tears welling up in the officer's eyes. Gently she lay the Hanson's hand back down on the bed and reached up to brush the tears off of Penhall's face.

"He's going to be fine sweetheart." She smiled back at Doug.

"I know… it's just…"

"Today…" She interrupted him.

"Yeah, I mean… first he disappears and then we find him to see him have a blade… shoved…" Doug tried to finish his thought.

"It's ok… we are all feeling this right now. Honey… he needs us to be strong for him right now. It's ok to cry, just be strong when he needs you to be.

Penhall ran his hand through his ungroomed hair and looked down at the floor. He felt a bit of shame since he let his guard down showing his emotions to them. He knew she was right, he needed to let his feelings show, but Tom… they had almost lost Tom. He felt sick to his stomach as he thought about it. Doug had always tried to protect Tom from what he could not protect himself from; and Tom had done the same for him. They were best friends and great partners together. It ate him up on the inside to watch his best friend lay in a hospital bed. He had tried to help Hanson… he had tried.

"Boys, we need to go. We have some reports to fill out and then you all need some rest." Dean stated quietly. He had been observing his wife trying to console Penhall; he had thought to himself that she had missed her calling in life. She needed to be a grief and stress counselor. She was amazing to watch. Dean placed a gentle hand on Booker's shoulder and slowly started to move away.

"Dean…" Booker turned and looked at his superior officer. Booker's eyes reflected exhaustion and pain. It had only been a couple of days since they were all at the same hospital dealing with Booker's injuries. The young officer had sustained bruised ribs at the hands of the same kid. "Sir… what's going to happen with Darren?" Booker looked down at the floor and then up at the officer. His eyes were aflame with anger and confusion.

"Dennis, he's going to do some jail time. He beat and murdered Kirk, he beat countless others and… well… he's going to have to answer for that. Jim, he's the one I worry about out of all this. He just lost his wife and now… his son…" Dean shook his head and looked at the floor. Dennis could feel the grief of the chief of police as he watched his fellow officer suffer the shame of a guilt which was not his to carry. "Come on you…" he forced as smile and patted the young officer on the back. Dean stepped towards Tom. He watched as the other said goodbye and left. "Ang…" Dean spoke up to his wife.

"Yeah." She said softly.

"I'll be out in a second." Dean finished. Angie smiled softly and closed the door behind Booker.

"We'll be waiting." She answered back.

Dean made his way over to the bed where Tom Hanson lay sleeping. He reached for the young mans hand. Gently he picked it up and held it next to his chest. With his free hand he brushed at Tom's dark wavy locks. The boy was not much older than his son would have been. He had watched the bond develop between Hanson and Angie. He had felt that same bond with him as they had sat and laughed over a pizza and cokes. His heart had ached when he watched the other boys, officers, anguish at his disappearance. He felt the shroud of death when they were sure he was going to be lost to a knife wound and the utter joy when the doctor said he would live. He felt a tear of pride and relief prick at his eyes. "Thank you so much Tommy." He stated softly to the sleeping man. "I don't know where we would have been without you and Doug and Dennis." He felt the tear escape his eye and glide softly down his cheek. He closed his eyes and spoke again, "Thank you GOD for bringing me these boys and just help them to all get healthy again and please bless them in their lives that lie ahead…"

Dean lay Tom's hand back down and brushed another tear from his own eye. He gently pulled the sheets up higher on the injured officer's chest and tucked them gently around him. "Sleep well my boy…" he whispered and then walked silently away.

Well, we are almost done. I am trying to come up with a way to have Angie and Dean comeback again, any suggestions?? Thanks so much for haning in there. I wanted to get to this sooner, but I turned DUHHHH and could not think of anything. So let me know what you think! Thanks Ya'll!