The Mistake, Chapter Eleven
**This is the last chapter. Five and a half years later :D Haha. Please review!**
Jonathan was led into the room where little Josh had already been set up in. His heart broke as he saw the baby in a huge crib with tubes sticking out everywhere. He carefully thread his hand through the crib bars and the tubes and gingerly touched Josh's hand.
"I'm Dr. Smock. Your son will be fine," he reassured Jonathan.
Jonathan didn't bother correcting him.
"What happened? He went limp in my arms. I thought he was dead!" Jonathan grew anguished again at the memory of holding a limp infant in his arms.
"Josh has a heart murmur. It's tiny, and right now we're not too worried about it. When he gets older-five or six-we're probably going to need to operate on it. But for now, we keep a good eye on it. Monthly doctor visits, medication, and until the operation he can't do strenuous activities-sports. Believe me, this incident seems minor compared to what could have happened if Josh was seven and had a bad accident—his heart probably would simply give out."
The doctor gave him a reassuring smile before leaving the room. Jonathan stared at the little boy as he breathed in and out in a rhythmic sleep. "Josh, what should I do?" He asked quietly, leaning on the crib with his free hand.
"I don't want to separate you and Morgan and Cory and Eric, but I'm not sure I can do this. It's too hard, going in six different directions with all of you. I thought it was hard with Shawn…" He trailed off, wanting to laugh at himself for thinking dealing with one teen was difficult. He was now dealing with an infant, an elementary schooler, and three teens.
"I don't think it's fair to you guys to be in my apartment. Hell, I'm not even sure if, once the social worker visits, she'll think it is appropriate dwelling for six people. You guys aren't even happy. Cory is miserable," Jonathan realized that if anyone walked in, he would seem ridiculous talking to a sleeping infant about his life problems, but he didn't care.
He had big decisions to make, and he didn't like having the fates of four kids in his hands.
He left Josh's room, and after being assured that Josh would be looked after around-the-clock, he decided to go home for the day. It had been eventful, and everyone was crabby and tired.
On the drive home, Jonathan swung through a drive-through and then silently kicked himself as he realized that this is just another thing on the long list that the social worker wouldn't approve of. Cramped headquarters, a hospitalized child, and the kids eating fast food…
The kids. They were silent, not knowing what to say about Jonathan basically saying that he was going to find other homes for them.
When they got home, Jonathan went straight to his room and locked himself inside and called George.
J: George. Hey, it's me.
G: Hello, Jonathan. How has your day been? I know you left early. Is everything alright?
J: Well, no. Not at all. Actually, everything pretty much sucks right now. Sorry for sounding like a whiny teenager. Josh is in the hospital.
G: What? Is he okay? Why didn't you tell me earlier?
J: I wasn't thinking. He's fine. We got home and he just started getting sicker and I was getting ready to take him to the ER. He just went limp in my arms so I called 911. He has a heart murmur, George. Christ, the kid's a baby and he has heart problems.
G: Well what else did the doctors say?
J: He should be fine for now. In a few years, they'll need to do surgery. So now we have monthly doctor appointments and medicine. He's still in the hospital right now.
G: Jonathan, we'll get through this.
J: I want to talk to you about 'this'. I don't think I can do it. I can't take care of five kids. It's impossible. My life is a living hell, and I'm taking care of kids who haven't smiled in weeks.
George was silent for a few moments as he processed what Jonathan was telling him.
G: Jonathan. You need to get it together. You are in charge of those kids. If that means that you feel it's best for them to make other arrangements, it needs to be done. They've lost their parents and been thrust into a whole other world, in the span of less than a month. Decide.
J: George, help me. You can take some of them in!
Jonathan realized how desperate he was to have the kids with people he knew, and respected.
George didn't reply.
J: C'mon, George. You know you love them. You can take care of Cory and Eric. Eric will be gone in a couple of years. And maybe then, after things have settled down, Eric can finish high school with me. But it's too much. And I know you will take care of them.
G: Jonathan, I'm old. I don't know if I have it in me to take care of two teenaged boys.
J: And I'm young, and I didn't think I had it in me to take care of five kids.
George was quiet once again.
G: For the kids, I'll do it. I don't want them with people I don't know.
Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief, and for the first time since he heard the knock on the door that awful night that Amy and Allan died, he felt at ease with everything around him.
Cory woke up and smiled. It was his first day of summer break, and it was the week that he and his brother Eric were going to Jonathan Turner's house to spend the whole week there.
Things were good. He still had a terrible ache in his heart from his parents' absence, but it got better everyday. When Jonathan told him and Eric that they were going to live with Feeny, Cory had been angry and told Jonathan that he never wanted to speak to him again.
It took him just a week to get over it, when he realized how happier everyone was. They were only a few miles away from Morgan and Josh, and they spent every weekend at Jonathan's house, and once a week Morgan, Josh, Shawn and Jonathan came to Feeny's and they all had dinner together.
And living with Feeny wasn't too bad. They had to be home by nine on school nights. Feeny never ate or cooked junk food. Feeny sometimes made them help him in his garden. They were required to keep their rooms clean, and to help Feeny with the kitchen every night. On Fridays before they headed over to Jonathan's, the trio did one big clean-up.
It was like a real family.
Though Cory knew that eventually, things would have settled down and living at Jonathan's would have gotten better, he knew that it was for the best that they were living separately.
Sometimes it was hard, looking outside his window and seeing the house that he had grown up in. It sat forlorn, with a "FOR SALE" sign decorating its yard. He missed the unique set up of his and Eric's room, and he missed the night time talks and pranks he, his brother and his father shared. He missed seeing Amy walking around in her pink robe, sometimes holding Josh tightly to her chest, and sometimes simply pacing, full of nervous energy.
"Mr. Matthews! Wake up!" Cory heard Feeny shouting from the stairs. He got up and walked downstairs.
"One day, Mr. Feeny, you can call me Cory," Cory said, grinning. He had this conversation everyday.
"Mr. Matthews serves me better, Mr. Matthews. I call Mr. Matthews and both of you come running. It's quite convenient," Feeny gave the explanation that Cory could easily repeat.
Cory sat down for breakfast and Eric eventually made his way downstairs.
"You guys be good for Turner. Help him around the house," Feeny said as he sat down with Cory and Eric.
"Oh, absolutely," Eric replied, giving him a big, cheesy grin.
Cory stopped eating a few minutes later. "Do you miss us when we're gone?" Cory asked, smiling a little, showing he was joking. He was being serious, though, and sometimes wondered if he and Eric were burdening their beloved teacher-turned principal-turned guardian.
"I miss you like I miss the fruit flies on my tomatoes," Feeny replied drly, then smiled. "Admittedly, I miss your companionship. At first I was so use to being alone that it was hard to come up with conversation at meals. But now when you're gone, I find myself talking out loud."
Cory was satisfied.
He knew he was Home. And though, a year ago, he never would have dreamed that he would call his principal's house Home, he was at peace with everything.
**I hope you guys liked it :D Sorry it took so long, if anyone has been reading from the beginning, lol. Review!**