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John winced as pain shot up and down his leg, his hand shaking on his crutch as he tried to stop himself from crumpling to the floor. He hissed as he slowly made his down the corridor. It was past time for his painkiller dose but despite waiting in the living room like he had been told to do, his Dad had yet to make his way downstairs from the office.

John had waited for as long as he could, trying to focus on his book, but eventually the pain was too great. He tried shouting but there was no response, and as there was no-one else in the house (with his brothers back at school), he decided to make the long, painful journey up to the office…thankfully his Dad had installed an elevator to make the journey easier for him.

"Dad!" he called out, as he noticed the office door was slightly open, "Are you okay?!"

Silence

"Dad?" John limped closer and closer to the office. As he got closer, he could hear a quiet sobbing coming from the ajar door. He glanced at his broken arm and at the opposite leg, which was also broken and sighed wearily. He gently used the bad shoulder to nudge the door open, grimacing as the pain raced through his arm.

Upon entering the room, John instantly spotted his Dad slumped over his desk, a glass of whiskey still clutched in his hand,

"DAD!" he yelled. Jeff's head shot up from the desk, his eyes bloodshot as he squinted his eyes at the unexpected visitor,

"Lucy…?" he muttered. John flinched at the name. It had only been a few weeks since the…incident and John knew that his Dad was still suffering from it.

"N-no Dad, it's me….John?" Jeff shook his head wearily and refocused in on John,

"John…what are you doing here?" John opened his mouth, but before he could speak, his hands slipped on the crutch causing him to yelp as his leg knocked against the doorway. Jeff lept up from his seat and gently urged John to sit down on a nearby chair,

"How bad is the pain…speak to me Johnny?!" John tried to answer but his Dad kept talking,

"Okay! Okay! Don't panic! I'll call the doctor, stay-"

"Dad!" Jeff stopped in his tracks,

"I just need my painkillers" Jeff frowned in confusion, before glancing at the pill bottle on his shelf and then at the clock. The doctor had entrusted Jeff with the painkillers after John was cleared was go home, due to John not being old enough yet.

"Oh my God…" Jeff gasped in horror as he realised what had happened, "…John, I'm so sorry!"

"Dad! Dad! It's okay…the pain isn't that bad honestly!"

"…Please don't lie to me" Jeff went over to grab a couple of pills and carefully handed them to his son who swallowed them greedily,

"Thanks Dad…" Jeff growled on frustration as he began to pace the room,

"You shouldn't have to remind me about things like this! What is wrong with me?!"

"Mom…" Jeff flinched, but before he could speak John continued, "…You're a grieving husband, we understand! But you need to be a Father too…Scott's been playing that role at the moment, not you!"

Jeff nodded in understanding as he pulled up a chair next to John's,

"You need to stop all of this" John gestured with his good hand to the glass of whiskey on the desk.

"I-I don't think I know how…" John placed a gentle hand on his Dad's shoulder,

"Let us help you Dad…Please?" Jeff glanced at John….he looked so much like his mother…He nodded,

"Okay…where do we begin?"

….Years later…..

Jeff smiled at a nearby picture on his desk. It was taken the day before…well, before everything happened. He and Lucy were head to toe in snow gear, having just come in from a couples ski event. Scott had Virgil in a playful headlock, ruffling his hair as Virgil laughed. Gordon had his arm around Alan's shoulders and both had their fingers held up in the universal peace sign. John was in the middle, clutching onto his book (A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking) as he smiled shyly at the camera…he had been the only one who hadn't gone skiing, and after the next day's events, he wouldn't ever again.

The comm button flashed at his side, and Jeff smiled as John's face came on the screen,

"Hey Johnny, what can I do for you?" John mock scowled at the disliked name before grinning, his eyes quickly glancing at the parts of the office that he could see,

"Just calling to make sure that you were okay…are you?" Jeff chuckled slightly at the worry in his son's voice,

"Don't worry John. I haven't had a drink….anyway, aren't I supposed to be the over-protective one?" John shrugged sheepishly,

"Well you and Scott…Besides, it's that time of the year and I was…concerned…can you blame me?" Jeff shook his head, still smiling,

"No I suppose not…what would I have done without you? What would I do without you now?!"

"You would have been okay…I just knocked you out of it sooner" Jeff nodded in agreement,

"A good kick to the head…or forgetting my son's painkillers to the point where he had to painfully make his way to the office…it was exactly what I needed" Jeff smiled sadly, before shaking his head slightly and turning back to face his son,

"Thanks John…I don't want to know what might have happened if you hadn't have been there"

"Anytime Dad…well not anytime…you know what I mean" The pair laughed, the pain of the anniversary put to one side as they enjoyed each other's company.