The hospital room became a sorrowful place as morning came around.
Talon and Troy has not slept all night.
Talon's fall had caused him a huge wound in his head which was held together by 23 stitches. He also fractured his leg fibula.
He was in excruciating pain.
Troy listened to the heart monitor. His heartbeat was so steady, so smooth, and Troy could feel that Talon was a lucky kid to just get away with a cut and a broken leg.
Most kids his age get killed falling down three flights of stairs.
Once morning had come, Troy gave Talon a kiss on the forehead and began to pet his hair. The more Troy thought about hurting Talon, the more he hurt inside. He never intended to hurt Talon. He wanted to be with Talon. He was just too drunk to realize what he had half the time. Ironically, the same thing was happening to Talon as Gabriella had with her parents. The drugs, the neglect, etc. He never wanted Talon to go through that, let alone the almost exact same thing Gabriella went through. What was next in line? The abuse? The torture of Talon's heart? He then began to vow a heartfelt promise to Talon. Something that Troy would never forget.
"Talon, I'm so sorry… " Tears dripped down Troy's face. "Daddy's going to stay home with you and help you heal that broken leg of yours... I'm going to start being there with you, and I'm going to stop the drinking and everything… I love you too much to lose you."
Someone knocked on the door, and automatically walked inside. The man was wearing a suit and looked pretty formal. "Are you Troy Bolton?"
Troy nodded.
"Can we see you outside?"
"Yeah, sure." Troy said.
As Troy stepped outside, he noticed that there was another man there, along with Wendy.
"We are here on account of Child Protective Services. I am George Elwood and my partner is Derek Colonel." One of the men said, showing them an ID. "We have been notified that Talon Beau Bolton is being illegally neglected by you."
Troy's heart stopped.
"This young lady has described you as uncaring and self-centered. She says that you have a drinking habit and are not at all taking care of your son. She also says that you call her every day and ask her to babysit your son while you are at college, but in fact, we have looked up your records and it says that you were expelled from college on April 26th."
Troy looked over at Wendy. Then, he looked back at the men.
He couldn't move, speak, or even find himself.
He blacked out in a world where there was nothing.
He remembered when he first figured out that Gabriella was pregnant. He was so scared and so remorseful at the same time, but he took care of her like she was his angel from above. He soon fell in love with her and their baby.
He remembered the first time he saw Talon.
That black and white picture of something floating in the middle of what looked like salt water. It was weird. He couldn't really describe it. And what made him feel even stranger was that the doctor was all smiles as she said. "It's a girl".
He raised an eyebrow. "A girl? What the hell? I was in it for a boy. I'm outta here." He pretended to walk out, but Gabriella grabbed the back of his jeans.
"Woah, baby daddy." She pulled him back. "You're going to deal with a girl whether you like it or not."
"You're screwed up."
"Why?" Gabriella laughed.
"You just had to release an girl egg at the SAME exact time you got pregnant. This sucks, Gabriella."
"Stop it, smart-ass." She smacked his chest. "You'll love our baby whether it's a girl or a boy."
He remembered the lonely girl who had drug addicts for friends and for parents, the one who was surrounded by something that she didn't want to be in.
But most of all, Troy remember watching his son grow, watching him say his first word, rolling over, crawling, then walking, and now, babbling like every other two year old.
He loved Talon more than anything in the world.
And he would be gone in a matter of days…
"Are you taking my son from me?" Troy said in a light tone.
The two men looked at each other. "I'm afraid so, Mr. Bolton."
Troy's world was Fluorine.
He exploded.
"NO! YOU WON'T TAKE HIM AWAY!" He suddenly broke into tears and started panicking. "HE'S MY EVERYTHING! HE'S THE ONLY THING I HAVE LEFT OF MY GABI!"
"You should have realized that when you had him in your possession." George said.
"HE'S MY SON! I LOVE HIM! I DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT HIM!" Troy cried desperately. "PLEASE DON'T TAKE HIM!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Bolton." Derek tried to take control. "We are only here because we have to be."
Troy guarded the door with his life. "NO! PLEASE!"
"You have five minutes. Say goodbye."
Troy sobbed loudly and shook his head. "This can't be happening, it can't be… "
"We have a hearing for you on the fourth. We expect you to attend, and if you don't, he will automatically go into the adoption agency- "
Troy shook his head.
"Just go in there and say goodbye." George handed him a paper for the court hearing.
He began to feel the familiar rush of adrenaline run through his body.
Like when he played football and he felt he wasn't going to get that touchdown…
He felt that exact way…
"Mr. Bolton, you either go in that room for five minutes or you leave now." Derek crossed his arms slowly. "We are not here for playing around."
Troy's heart began to race.
He slowly fought the urge to just tackle them.
He wanted to kill those men, and Wendy for that matter.
But, he turned around.
He pushed the door open.
His son lie there, awake, waiting for his daddy to come sit by his bedside and talk to him all day.
His daddy would only be there for five minutes…
Troy sat down in his chair.
He stared at the wall for a few minutes, knowing that it was his own fault.
But he truly didn't mean it. Not now, not ever.
He never wanted to hurt anyone, let alone Talon.
He let his parents down.
He let his friends down.
He let Talon down.
And most importantly, he let Gabriella down…
He turned to Talon slowly, leaned over the bed, and slowly gathered Talon in his arms. He cradled Talon like he did when Talon was just a baby, fresh home from the hospital without his mother. He was so innocent, so unaware of the cruel world. He didn't know his mother was dead. All he knew was eating and sleeping. And as he began to grow under Troy's supervision only, he began to recognize his daddy, the one and the only one who took care of him. Troy felt a sense of security, a sense of responsibility and nobility with Talon. Something he had never felt before. He would do anything for his little boy. He would die for Talon. If monsters were going to eat them, he would have shot Talon in the head with the only bullet left and let the monsters tear himself apart piece by piece. He loved Talon more than anything on the planet. Now, his pride and joy was not his anymore. He would not be able to hug him and kiss him, he would not be able to wake up and watch Talon sleep peacefully in bed. He wouldn't have a son. He would be an empty man, someone who was too pathetic to keep his girlfriend alive and his son in his custody. Pathetic. Spoiled. Ugly… And what would he do without them? He would indulge himself in something that he finds solace in. Beer, Wine, Vodka, Whiskey, whatever alcohol he could find. Nobody would care about him. He would just be another pathetic drinker walking down the side of the road all drunk and unhappy with life.
If he lost Talon, he would be nothing…
A rocking chair sat in the corner of the room…
Troy stood up with Talon cradled in his arms. He slowly walked towards the rocking chair, step by step…
Just like a teenager's footsteps…
He listened carefully to the sound that his shoes made the second they contacted the rough floor. A little tapping noise… Something Troy had never appreciated before.
He was alive, well, and had a beautiful son…
For Gabriella, it was different..
For her footsteps would never again be heard on planet Earth…
He took a seat in the rocking chair. With his tiptoes barely reaching the floor from the tall rocking chair, he slowly began to rock, pushing his toes off the ground and letting them return to home once again. He grabbed the hospital blanket and covered Talon up with it, who was shivering and still sobbing. Talon cuddled against Troy, and Troy could hear his slow, paced breathing. It was amazing how just one time, the sperm united with the egg to create something so unique and so beautiful. Technology allowed you to see your baby before it was born, tell you the gender, and even take 3D pictures of your baby's face to compare to the rest of the family. And then, that one moment when the baby finally finds its way to the world, screaming as its strong lungs should scream and the heart beating in strong paces, you realize that it is the best moment of your entire life, and that you helped create that life you now hold in your arms.
Troy remembered how happy he felt when he first saw Talon when he was born. It didn't matter how small or squirmy he was, how ugly or bloody, all that mattered was that he had Talon. Finally, he could breathe a sigh of relief.
But, he was about to lose his own creation, the only thing he had left in his life. It was all about to go down the drain…
Talon yawned as Troy continued rocking him. Troy moved Talon's over-grown hair which lay across his forehead in blonde strands. Talon mirrored Troy's blue eyes (they were exactly identical) and those blue eyes began to close gently.
The only thing he had left rested in his arms. The rocking chair squeaked as it rocked back and forth, like the one in Gabriella's hospital room shortly after she gave birth to the son he was holding now.
And the room she died in.
He found himself full of nothing but sorrow as Talon drifted off to sleep, wondering why life hit him so hard, and why nobody wanted to be there for him…
Not one person had stepped up and offered Troy help, not even his own parents.
He got a girl pregnant. His girlfriend was murdered. His college kicked him out. Talon was going to be taken away.
There was no will for him to live…
He sobbed under his breath and kissed the top of Talon's head.
What else would happen?
The door cracked open and the George stepped in. "Mr. Bolton, your five minutes is up."
Tears fell from Troy's face as he continued to rock him back and forth. He nodded and said a few words.
"Five minutes isn't long enough to express love." Troy said. "It takes years of trust and care. Are you really going to take him away?"
"That depends on the decision of the courts."
"Courts my ass. Is he going to be taken from me or not?"
"If you prove yourself to be a good father, he won't."
Troy planted a kiss on Talon's resting head and slowly stood up from the chair. He walked towards the bed and placed Talon upon it.
"I love you, Talon… "
Troy felt a cold feeling shoot up his back.
He sobbed once again as tears fell from his cheeks to the rough floor. The rocking chair in the corner still rocked as if someone was in it. It began to slow, and then stopped.
Over Talon's body, Troy whispered something that defined his own determination.
"I'll be bringing you home in a couple days."