Chapter 10

Roy and JoAnne raced into the school building, they knew their way around enough that they didn't need to be lead to the nurse's office and they didn't take time to check in at the office which was requested of visitors.

At the nurse's office Mr. Bunker and the vice principal were arguing at the door.

"He's just being a little panty waist," Mr. Bunker carried on, "he's been acting so long for those commercials he's been doing and now he's acting for attention."

They looked up and noticed Roy and JoAnne were standing next to them. "I assure you Mr. and Mrs. DeSoto there is nothing really wrong with your son."

"I'll be the judge of that." Roy pushed his way into the nurse's office and started evaluating his son. Chris was laying on a bench affair his breathing seemed labored as he held his chest with both hands and Roy could tell instantly that he was trying to hold as still as possible. Breathing was clearly painful so he was trying not to do that any more than was absolutely necessary.

"Do you have a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope?" Roy asked looking to the nurse. The nurse knew Roy and the training that he had so she handed them to him while he asked, "Have an ambulance and squad been called?"

"That kid doesn't need and ambulance he just got the wind knocked out of him that's all." Mr. Bunker started to demean Chris once again.

"No not yet," the vice principal stepped in, "There was a disagreement on the need so we chose to wait until you got here to make the decision."

"Then get them called now and request police assistance," Roy roared, "I'll be filing charges on the boys that did this."

"Now I don't think that will be necessary." The vice principal began.

"Now wait just one minute," Mr. Bunker reached out and took hold of Roy's arm trying to force him to turn and look at him. "You're just turning that kid of yours in to a whine heels, it's not going to solve his problems."

"Remove your hand from my arm or I will see to it that you are charged as well," Roy stated with enough of a glare to let the man know he meant business. Suddenly Roy was beginning to get an idea how this man worked. Once his son was taken care of he would need to call Miss Marlow and tell her what he was thinking.

When the hand was slowly removed Roy turned back to his son and started to palpate his body to find out what the extent of the injuries were. There were no bumps on his head and although he didn't have a pen light he was certain his son's eyes were equal and reactive. Roy slowly unbuttoned his son's shirt to see the bruising on his chest. Calmly he encouraged his son to let him pull his arms away from his chest as he gently, Chris groaned as he ran his practiced hands down his chest, definitely bruised but Roy didn't think anything was broken, possibly cracked though. There was some definite tenderness in the upper abdominal cavities and the lower part of the abdomen was tender, as well as the groin. Roy's anger was growing, his son had really been worked over, and he was sure all four of the boys who did the working were from Mr. Bunker's class room.

After he had palpated his son's body, Roy was able to turn him on his side to reduce the pain slightly and make it easier for him to breath.

The police officer had arrived first and Mr. Bunker was quick to get his attention and tell his side of the story. As Roy was listening to his son being labeled a troublemaker and the instigator of the fight, Chris got his attention and coaxed him to bend down so that he could whisper in his ear.

"Don't leave here with out Jen, not safe for her here," Chris managed to painfully whisper in his father's ear.

Roy just sat up and held his finger to his lips and gave his son a nod, he then rubbed his head and tried to calm his wife who was holding Chris's hand with both of her's trying very hard to put up a brave calm front for her son but Roy knew she was terrified.

When the paramedic's arrived Roy looked up at Brice and Bellingham, "This is my son," Roy reported, "He's been in an altercation with four other boys, most of the injuries are found in the chest and abdominal areas." Roy then relayed all other information he had gathered or observed and ended with, "And yes you have my permission to treat."

As Brice and Bellingham were working on his son and starting the IV he knew would be ordered, Roy pulled his wife to his side and whispered in her ear to go get Jen. As Chris was being moved to the ambulance Roy was walking beside him. "Brice here will take good care of you so you mind what he says until you get to the hospital, Jen and your Mom are in the cab or the ambulance with you so don't be afraid. I'll be driving in right behind you; I'll be there by the time you're done with your x-rays."

After helping to lift his son into the ambulance Roy watched as his wife and daughter were guided to the cab, then once Brice had set his equipment in side Roy pulled at his shirt sleeve, "This is my son, he's scared, please put on your best bed side manner," Roy sighed realizing Brice's best bed side manner was no bedside manner. "Just don't rule book him to death before you get him to the hospital please."

"I'll do my best," Brice actually managed a smile, at least Roy thought it was a smile, it could have been a grimace or gas or something like that.

School was just getting out as the ambulance pulled away so Roy had to work his way through a waist high sea of children to get back to his car. As he moved one boy took hold of his hand to stop him.

"Mr. DeSoto, is Chris going to be alright?" Roy looked back and Tony, somebody he couldn't remember his last name but he knew the boy was a friend of Chris's.

"I think so but he needs to be checked over by a doctor real good. He could be hurt inside." Roy tired to explain and keep it on the boy's level.

"I don't know what they told you but Chris didn't start it," Tony told his friend's father, "They just came up to him and told him that your family needs to keep their noses out of other peoples business and started hitting him, before they hit him the last time they said that he better tell his big mouthed sister to put a sock in it or they'd get her next even with the new rules you made the principle make."

"Tony did you see what happened?" Roy knelt down to look at him eye to eye.

Tony nod his head, "There were four of them hitting Chris in the stomach but there were two other big kids holding me and Rodger's arms behind out back, they said if we tell then they'd hit us too," the boy looked down at the ground, "They said they'd get us for helping Chris get to the nurse." The boy then looked up with tearful eyes, "Mr. DeSoto I'm scared, mom won't get home from work for an hour and they know where I live, Roger too."

"Would you come with me and tell the police what you saw and heard?" Roy asked keeping the frightened boy safe for a moment. "Then they can keep you safe when you get home and Roger too if you know where he is." Roy had no more that stood up to lead the frightened boy to the police officer he left talking with the vice principal when he came out with his son, when another boy ran into him because he was paying more attention to who was following him than to where he was going.

Roy took notice of the group of older boys and big for their age following, "This wouldn't by any chance be Roger would it?"

"NO he's Roger," Tony pointed to a boy who was being drug along by two bigger boys who where holding both of his arms and forcing him forward.

Out of the corner of his eye Roy noticed the police officer walking out of the front entrance. "Officer we need your help over here," Roy called out. Roger's arms were let go instantly and several boys ran but Roy wasn't sure who they were or even how many for sure. However his gut told him they were students of Mr. Bunker.

When the officer came to Roy's beckoning call he could see three frightened boys moving in close to the father of a boy who had just been taken to the hospital. Roy quickly explained that the boys had been harassed and were frightened. He took a moment to look at Roger's arms and could see the bruises which he pointed out to the police officer. Still his felt the boy should be alright.

"Will you make sure these boys get home safely and their parents informed?" Roy asked the police officer when he noticed another police car arriving to help out. "I really need to get to the hospital for my son."

"We'll take care of things here, don't be worrying about these three, we'll see to it that they're taken care of."

Roy made it to the hospital in time to see the portable x-ray machine being pushed out of a treatment room and when Jenny ran into his arms and he lifted her up and held on tight she confirmed that was the room that her brother was in. "Why didn't they call me to take care of him daddy, he's my brother and I could have wrapped up his chest so that he wouldn't hurt so much until he could get to Rampart."

Roy pulled his daughter close for a tight hug. "You have to leave a little work for us grown ups there sweetie. Don't you worry now, Chris will be alright."

Roy looked down the hall to see Dr. Brackett walk into the treatment room, he knew his son was in good hands but he wouldn't be totally at ease until Chris was back in his hands.

Dr. Brackett and Dixie came through the treatment room door and walked side by side toward the waiting room were Roy and the rest of his family waited.

"He's been hit pretty hard but we can't find any evidence of internal bleeding yet, but I would like to keep him for at lease 24 hours to make sure." Dr. Brackett informed one of his best paramedics.

"Of course Doc," Roy responded, "what ever you think is best; Is he still in a lot of pain?"

"We've given him something to help with that." Dr. Brackett grimaced, "He's not too happy about some of the tubing we've installed and I'm sure he'll be less happy when he learns that he can't eat or drink anything until we're sure we won't have to rush him to surgery."

Roy let out a deep breath and nod his head in understanding, "Can we see him Doc?"

"Sure," Brackett acknowledged then look right at Jenny standing next to her father resting her head on his hip with one arm around his thigh, my she was growing, last time he remembered seeing her hang on to her father like that she was resting her head on his thigh and her arms around his knee. "I'm sure you can explain what you need to, to you young Jenny here and get her to not go looking too deep under the covers to explore."

A smirk split the air as a rather proud father looked at his youngest offspring. "This is definitely a take our word for it do not lift covers and do no touch operation," Roy acknowledges.

"Chris had to have an operation?" young Jenny asked pulling herself tighter to her father and looking up at him at the same time.

"Not yet honey, but he might have to." Roy explained as he wife pulled in close too and placed a reassuring hand on her daughter's shoulders. "The Doctor is going to keep him in the hospital and run some tests and watch him real close till tomorrow to make sure he doesn't need an operation, then if he just needs rest and medication for his pain we can take him home and you and Mommy can take care of him."

"I will do my best," Jenny pulled away from her father just a little and stood at attention. Everyone in the area was waiting for some kind of salute but none was given.

Roy rubbed his daughter's hair and pulled her close to his side once again, "we're going to go in and visit with Chris for a little while but before we do I want you to promise me that you won't touch anything. Okay?"

"I be good daddy. I won't touch nothin."

Hand in hand three DeSoto's walked in to check out the fourth. Chris was dosing due to the effects of the medication. Still there was a quiet moan of pain that accompanied any hint of movement. The head of the bed was raised just slightly and the side rails up.

Roy reached out and rubbed the top of his son's head, the way he always thought a father should, and when Chris opened his eyes sleepily to look at him he bend down to give him a kiss on the forehead. "You're going to be all right son but the Doctor wants to keep you around so he can watch you close till tomorrow."

Chris weakly nod and rolled his head toward his family, "Doc Brackett told me."

With that Roy moved further down the side of the bed so that JoAnne could check her son over and give him her love. While JoAnne was rubbing the top and side of Chris's head Roy picked up Jenny and held her so that she could get a better look at her brother.

Roy was aware of the door to the room opening and closing but he hadn't turned his attention away from his son.

"He's going to be alright mommy," Jenny started in on her bedside manner which was a combination of what she had seen her brother do and how she perceived her father would put her mother at ease. "His IV is dripping very slowly so it's just there so they can put medicine in it, he's breathing all by his self, he doesn't even have oxygen on him. And he has very good color in his face."

Roy smiled and gave his daughter a hug, then realized that the beating had avoided his face and anywhere else that bruises would be noticed.

It was the quiet scoff from behind him though that caused him to turn and see who was in the room with them. He was very relieved to see Miss Marlow there knowing she had the means to bring this group of boys either to control or away from his children's school.

Jenny was set back on the floor where she took hold of her brother's wrist and counted a pulse. "A little slow for him but still very good," Jenny reported. Then her attention turned to the bag affair hung near the bottom of the bed, filling with an orange shade of fluid. "Daddy what's this?"