1983
He had his first major fight with his dad today.
It wasn't anything really serious – he and his dad got into a fight about whether or not Shawn was going to go fishing with Henry. Henry won, of course, and even Shawn's own mother betrayed him, citing "quality time with your father" and "you two will get to bond."
Yeah, right. Like killing innocent fish while the smell wrinkles his nose and seeps into his pores is a way to spend quality time with anyone. To make it even worse, Shawn jabbed his thumb on the hook while trying to hook the worm. Henry merely rolled his eyes and showed Shawn how to do it properly.
See, Shawn has known his father for his entire life. With the exception of Gus, Shawn knows Henry better than anyone else in the world. He knows that his dad will completely block out any sort of white noise during three different recreational activities: football, hunting, and fishing. The hunting isn't remotely as often, and Henry has never taken Shawn, but Shawn knows that the same rules that apply to football and fishing will apply to hunting.
Right now, Henry is locked in a battle with a fish that doesn't seem to want to be reeled in (not that Shawn can blame it) and he isn't paying any attention to Shawn. Shawn glances over his shoulder just to be sure that his dad is still preoccupied, and then he makes his way towards the back of the boat.
Henry has two life savers (the floaty kind, not the candy kind; Shawn was dismayed when he learned that) – one in the back of the boat, tied to a rope, and one hanging on the side of the boat. He also has made it clear to Shawn on numerous occasions that, in the case the boat begins to sink while both of them are on board, Shawn would get the one laying on the deck and Henry would sever the cord, and, if he could, Henry would get the one hanging on the side of the boat.
Maddy doesn't think it's practical for one of the life savers to be on the side of the boat. Henry argues appearance.
Shawn smirks. He can really mess with his dad by jumping into the ocean. The life saver is attached to the rope, and the rope is tied to the boat. He'll be just fine, and sure, his dad will get mad at him, but they'll look back on it in a few years and laugh.
He looks over his shoulder again, and his dad is still wrestling with the fish. Shawn grins, grabs the life saver, and eases into the chilly ocean water.
It's a lot colder than he expected it to be, but he'll be fine for a few minutes. His dad will lose the fight with that fish (hopefully) and look over his shoulder to see Shawn bobbing in the water. Of course, Henry will be pissed, but Shawn will laugh and that'll make it all worth it.
Shawn pinches his nose closed with two fingers and dips underwater, coming up in the hole of the lifesaver. He positions his arms on the lifesaver and bobs. The waves gently push at him and Shawn shivers.
He licks his lips and decides to look around. Clouds are beginning to roll in, but they're fluffy and mostly white, with a few dashes of gray. Given a few hours, it'll probably start storming, but Shawn will already be warm and dry by then. To his left is just an endless expanse of water; no boats disturb it. To his right is another endless expanse of water. A fish swims between Shawn's legs, and he pulls his leg up immediately, trying to suppress a giggle. For a brief moment, he wonders if it's a shark, and all the blood drains from his face. When he doesn't feel the shock of his leg coming off, he assumes it was just one of the fish his dad was trying to catch and shrugs it off.
The sun shines directly onto his side, and he closes his eyes and basks in the warmth. He'll be fine. His dad is nearby.
He's been fighting this same fish for the better part of ten minutes now, and he's just about to reel him in when the line snaps.
"Damn," he says, staring aimlessly at the little ploop the line makes as it falls into the ocean. He sighs and turns around, expecting Shawn to be sitting in the back of the boat in protest of, as he says it, "killing innocent little sea creatures."
When he looks behind him, Shawn's not there. He sits up straighter. "Shawn?" he calls. "Shawn, buddy, where are you?" Henry stands up and creeps over to one of the blankets that's been folded messily. "Shawn, come out of there, you're not in any trouble."
Nothing.
Henry pulls up the blanket, and Shawn's not underneath.
His heart is beginning to beat faster. "Shawn!"
Shawn couldn't have fallen off the boat…right? I mean, Henry certainly would have heard him if he did, but Shawn is absolutely nowhere to be seen.
Henry tries to swallow his fear and looks around the boat. There needs to be a clue somewhere…
There.
The lifesaver is missing.
Henry runs his tongue over his teeth. "That damn kid," he mumbles, turning to look behind him.
Shawn's still not there.
He stands up straighter. "Shawn!" he shouts, hoping that his voice will carry far enough that Shawn will hear. "Shawn!"
He's jolted from his catnap, and when he looks around, he wonders why, exactly, he's in the ocean and when he got there. It doesn't take him too long to remember, but as he does, a shiver races up his spine. His arms are dotted with goosebumps, and he feels really, really cold. He might as well throw in the towel and call for his dad now. At this point, he's too cold to enjoy the joke.
Wait a minute, he thinks. Where did the boat go?
He didn't hear the sound of the engine, and besides, the lifesaver is supposed to be tied to the boat in the first place.
There's no rope.
Shawn smacks himself on the forehead. "How could I not notice that?" he asks himself. He squints into the horizon, and at the edge of his vision, he can faintly make out a boat.
He pushes himself up on the lifesaver. "Dad!" he shouts. He drops down and waves one of his arms frantically in the air. "Dad, I'm right here! Dad! Dad!"
Before now, he hated the rule that he had to carry his pager with him at all times. Now, he's thankful for the rule as he pages the station with a message:
FISHING WITH SHAWN ON THE OCEAN. HE'S MISSING. I CAN'T SEE HIM. SEND HELP.
He doesn't expect an immediate response, but it sure would be nice. In the meantime, he has to think quickly about a way to save his son. He closes his eyes.
Think, he tells himself. When did you last see him?
His eyes snap open. Shawn was still on the boat ten minutes ago. He heard Shawn complaining in his ear about how the poor fish probably just wanted to eat and how would he, Henry, Shawn's father, feel if Shawn went to the kitchen one day only to be nearly killed by someone who liked the sport of it. Henry glared at him (the last round with Mr. Yang was unsettling, to say the least, and he doesn't want Shawn even thinking about people who kill other people for the sport of it) and Shawn sat back and sulked.
Henry glances at his watch. That exchange happened about eight minutes ago.
Where could he have gone in eight minutes? Which direction?
Henry hurries over to the side of the boat and watches the waves. There's a pattern there, and he's waiting to see it.
His pager buzzes, and Henry has the answer before he checks it. He hurries over to the wheel and turns the ship around. In the distance, if he squints, he thinks he can see a tiny speck.
The message on his pager is from the chief. It's simple and straight to the point:
COAST GUARD NOTIFIED. CONTACT ME IF YOU FIND HIM.
Shawn has decided that he officially doesn't like the ocean. It's too big and scary. There are sharks in there somewhere. It's also really cold. Like. Really cold.
He hears the sound of an engine and he perks up immediately. A few yards away, he can see his dad's boat.
"Dad!" he shouts, regaining some of his energy. He waves one hand in the air, and he's shaking with cold, but his dad is here to save him. "Dad, I'm right here!"
Henry follows the sound of Shawn's voice and sees him immediately. He lifts one hand in a stop signal. "Stay right there!" he calls. "I'm going to get as close to you as possible!"
Shawn nods and waits as the boat pulls up next to him. Henry kills the engine, grabs a blanket, and hurries to the back of the boat. He kneels, opens his arms, and gestures for Shawn to come close. "C'mere, son. I've got you."
Shawn paddles towards the back of the boat and Henry leans forward and grabs Shawn under his armpits and carefully lifts him out of the water and into the boat. Once he's into the boat, Henry holds him close and cradles his head in his hand.
"You're alright," he breathes.
Shawn's teeth are chattering loudly and his body jerks because of the cold. "I- I'm safe, D-Dad. I- I'm just really c-cold."
Henry's eyes widen and he pulls away. "Right," he says, reaching for the blanket next to him. He wraps it around Shawn's shoulders and presses a kiss to Shawn's forehead. "That should help some." He leans forward again and grabs the lifesaver. "I'll get you another blanket, c'mon."
Shawn nods solemnly and waits for his dad to pick him up again. "Am I in trouble?"
Henry's shoulders sag and he gently sets Shawn down and wraps another blanket around his shoulders. "Not right now, son. I will have to tell your mother about this, but for now, I'm just glad you're safe." He rubs Shawn's shoulder. "Don't ever do that again," he says lowly, standing behind the wheel of the boat.
Before he heads back home, he takes his pager and sends out one last message:
FOUND SHAWN. CALL OFF THE COAST GUARD. HE'S SAFE.
Henry closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "He's safe," he whispers, turning the boat back to shore.