Chapter 14: The Dam Breaks

In the morning, a groggy Mary wanders into the kitchen. Robert, the early riser of the pair, has already brewed a pot. He hands her a cup.

“Mmmm thank you sweetheart. Have you checked on our patient this morning?”

“I'd say his primary caregiver is staying on top of things.”

“Oh? Has she been into check on him already?”

Robert gestures with his mug. “See for yourself.”

Mary wanders to the guest room to poke her head in the door. Jonathan is resting on his back propped up on several pillows with a cold compress on his forehead and the sheet pulled up to cover his chest. The I.V. bag has recently been changed. On the bed curled up against him is Shelby. She is sleeping quietly with one arm draped across her boyfriend's waist. Jonathan's arm is curled around her.

When she comes back into the kitchen it's Robert's turn to ask how things are. “And?”

“Where's my phone? I've got to get a picture. They are just too cute!”

It’s Saturday, the following Monday is a teacher workday so Shelby spends the next days taking care of Jonathan. He’s slow to respond to the medication. For that reason Robert is unwilling to leave him unattended. Tuesday's are file update days at Mary's Practice so she decides to work from home and keep an eye on Jonathan.

Shelby is not pleased. “Mom you can't make me go, he’s mine!” Then less forcefully, “I mean - my responsibility.”

“Shelby dear you don't own him. You have to go to school. If not you’ll run the risk of losing class valedictorian. Not to mention the scholarships. I’ll be here to make sure some other 1940’s style hottie doesn’t steal him away from you”

...

A glum Shelby pouts in history class while Ms. Hayes takes attendance. “Jonathan?” She looks up and notes the empty desk. “Shelby? Do you know where he is?”

“He’s at my… He’s out sick. I can take his classwork to him.”

From the back of the room, “Probably suffering from some shit you gave him.”

Before Lisa can say anything, she is interrupted by a response from across the room, “Jason, why don't you shut-up before someone slaps the shit outta you!”

“Oh yeah! Which one of you thinks they can?”

“I do.”
“And me”
“And me”
“Me too.”
“I’m in.”

To Shelby's amazement almost the entire class has had enough of Jason and his gang. Then Devon, the original speaker adds, “Jason, I know I can, and even if I can't alone, I won't be. And we’ll make damn sure each one of you six are.”

Jason poised to respond, thinks better of it then turns to his classwork. Shelby and Ms. Hayes exchange surprised smiles. After class, she gathers Jonathan’s work, “It looks like your friend has started something. The G.O.P. seem to have lost its hold over the student body. Some of the other teachers have had similar things happen in their classes.”

“That’s good to know Ms. Hayes. I’m sure Jonny will be glad to hear that.”

“Jonny is it now? So it’s true? You two have become something of an item? The other girls will be disappointed. Most of them think he’s quite attractive.” Then she mumbles “and some of the teachers too...”

Back at the Curtis’s, Mary, drawn to the room by the sound of coughing looks in on Jonathan. He’s looked better. He is gaunt and pale, perspiration dots his face and has plastered blonde locks of hair to the boy’s forehead. She decides three days of sweat on her guest sheets is enough. She worked her way through college as a nurse's assistant so changing an occupied bed is no trick to her. She figures to kill two birds by giving Jonathan a sponge bath. It should help with his fever and provide some soothing.

As she is bathing, the boy begins to stir and mumble in his sleep.

“No, I’m sorry Ms. Pinch. … Please ... leave me alone… No I wasn't…. It just started spinning … NO! I didn't… “ This time the coughing fit wracks his entire body.

After it passes, “Shhh Jonathan it's OK…” She tries to bathe his side, then things get bad.

“No don't, please not there, it hurts… No! I didn't do it on purpose! NO!” Jonathan's eyes fly open, unseeing he tries to fight off an imaginary enemy. “I swear it wasn't on purpose… No PLEASE!” He’s about to jump out of bed and in danger of ripping out the I.V.

Mary grabs his shoulders and uses all her weight to hold him. “Jonathan… Johnathan… JONATHAN! WAKE UP!”

Finally he stops struggling and his eyes come into focus… on Mary. “Oh GOD. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kill them. I'm sorry. Everything happened so fast… Mom's screams… Dad grabbing the wheel… The trucks were so big and the car… it wouldn't respond to the wheel, the brakes. Oh GOD I killed them, I killed them…” He’s wracked by another fit, when he looks up she can see the torment and fear in his eyes. “She said so… She said I'm a horrible son. A murderer. I didn't want them dead. I wanted to go home. I wanted all of us… She said I deserved to hurt for what I did. She was going to make me pay for it, for as long as she could keep me in custody… Said jail was too good for me and knew how to make me pay. Oh God! I'm so ashamed… I MISS them so much…” More coughs, “Please let me go… I won't bother you again.” By now he’s buried in her arms sobbing, coughing… in anguish.

“Let it out Jonny. Don't hold back…” Mary holds him close. Urges him to go on as the memory of his treatment in the hospital spills forth. All the ugly details about the harshness in how he was treated. Like he was a criminal. She has heard similar stories before. Stories of abuse and torture that do nothing but twist the victims minds into believing anything the villain wishes. That it was at the hands of a social worker, in a place of healing... She has to fight to keep her own anger in check.

Struggling between being a Mom and a Doctor she begins whispering words of comfort...

Forty-five minutes later she is still holding a now sleeping Jonathan, when Shelby gets in from school. The sight triggers her sense something is wrong. “Mom…? What's happened?”

“We had an episode today Bee. I need you to take him. Just let him sleep. It will help for him to see you when he wakes up. Here sit.” She passes the young man to her daughter's arms. “I'm going to make a call.” Shelby can feel shudders from his occasional sobbs.

The movement of the girl as she adjusts on the bed wakes him. Instantly he pulls Shelby close and holds on. ”I’m sorry Bee. I've been a pathetic mess today.”

“I heard. In all your pathetic mess did you at least miss me?”

“Every minute.”

“We are gonna have to work on that. I will only accept you missing me every second.”

Mary is halfway through dialing the phone when abruptly she stops. Her hands have begun to shake. She can feel it coming over her. Remembering what happened last time, she calmly places her newest smartphone gently on the counter. Turning to a door she steps into the garage to gather herself. “OK Mary keep it together. Remember you’re an adult. A doctor. Be professional.” She speaks to the empty room. Absently she picks up a can of WD40, takes a couple deep breaths and starts counting to ten. One, two,...the can hurls across the garage quickly followed by everything on her husband’s workbench.

An hour later, Dr. Michaels and Aaron are there. Mary begins, “OK Jonathan, I want you to tell Sheila and Aaron exactly what you told me earlier. This is important for them to hear and for you to get out. Spare nothing. If you have to cry, then cry. They need to hear all of it.”

Shelby is on the bed with him, holding his hand. “Go ahead Jonny. We are here for you. I’m here for you.”

Slowly and not without some emotion he relates the events in the hospital. From the time he awoke to the hour the attorneys from the firm took him away. The mistreatment by the nurses, the indifference of the doctors. The multiple surgeries without explanation and the horrible things the social worker said, and did. The yelling... The restraints... The abuse, the hurting. The pain. By the time he's done, he's again in the girl's arms.

When he finishes the room is silent for several minutes before Aaron stands up. “Dr. Michaels, I think you and I both have a lot of work to do on Jonathan’s behalf. Don’t you agree?”

Jonathan sits up, near panic in his eyes, “Am- Am I going to jail?”

The look on Aaron’s face is incredulous, “Oh Heavens no son. But I can’t say the same of those folks in Vermont.”

Mary notes the change in Jonathan’s body language. He leans back, closes his eyes, and visibly sinks into her daughter's arms.

“Jonathan?”, Dr. Michaels touches the boy’s thigh and he opens his eyes, “I need to talk to Mr. Stanley for a few minutes. But when I come back I’d like to talk to you for a bit. I’ve some things to tell you. They should help you feel better.”

...

As much as the antibiotics, the truth about what caused the accident has a positive effect on Jonathan's recovery. As if he has just let go of 11 months worth of tension. With the knowledge that no matter who had been driving the outcome would have been much the same, the boy begins to let go of his guilt. Both Mary and Dr. Michaels have near daily sessions with him, though he avoids getting back into the details of the hospital. Much like Shelby after her incident, Jonathan doesn't like for her to get too far away or for very long. The teens’ bond seems to strengthen before the adults' eyes.

That Friday afternoon Mary is drawn to her guest room by the sounds of laughter. What she finds interesting, is some of the laughter is from Jonathan. Something she has never heard before. Mary walks in to find he and Shelby playing video games. All looks like simple innocent teenage fun except, Jonathan still nude, is above the rumpled covers on his belly with his head at the foot of the bed. A pillow is under his chest and he’s supported on his elbows. Shelby clothed in boy shorts, a tight tank and braided hair is straddling Jonathan. Sitting on his bare butt. Mary spies where Shelby's boy shorts meet Jonathan's bum and decides it’s time to intervene. "OK you two pause the game... Do either of you care to explain why my daughter is using her NAKED boyfriend’s butt as an ottoman?”

“Oh that's easy. I beat him two out of three in Street Fighter. I'm the champ!”

“I don't even want to know how you two came up with the stakes.”

“As Bee put it, she whipped my butt so she gets to own my butt. I guess it could be worse. But I’m managing.”

Mary doesn't​ buy that he's in distress and does what she can to suppress a smile. “Shelby you need to jump up for a second."

Shelby giggles, "But mom! I'm comfortable! It's the best seat in the house!"

"Up young lady! I don't care how cute you think it is."

Shelby shows her pouty face, "You called it adorable."

Jonathan blushes a deep red, "Whoa, wait a sec. If she gets up then you will see my naked butt!!"

Mary looks at him coolly. "I've already seen it. Now up Shelby."

Shelby crawls off Jonathan, deliberately dragging her body over his. Mary shows her a mild scowl then pulls the sheet over his backside, gives it a mild slap and looks to Shelby saying "You can have your seat back now, Champ. Just keep it covered." She looks to Jonathan, "As for you young man. At this rate you should be back to school by Monday."

When she checks on them 30 minutes later, Jonathan is asleep and Shelby is reading, using her former seat as a pillow. Mary thinks to herself ‘Adorable’.

That evening the boy tells Robert and Mary if he can have his clothes back he can get out of their hair. He’s imposed on their generosity enough.

“Sorry son, I'm pretty sure I used those clothes as rags. See, there was this huge mess somebody made in the garage the other day. Apparently they were pretty pissed off about something. God knows what it could have been? You're just gonna have to wait until we can come up with something for you to wear. Until then… Say! Why don't you find us a nice punching bag on the internet we can order. My garage won't take too many more of those kinds of beatings.” He winks at Mary and leaves the room.

“Well I guess that's that Jonathan. I've a lot going on this weekend. It will likely be late Saturday or Sunday before I can get you something to wear.”

“But…”

“No buts Jonny. What mom and daddy says, goes. You're no exception. You'll just have to stay here with me.” She kisses him and skips out of the room.

“Well I guess I’m just a prisoner of my girlfriend and her family.” A look of contentment spreads across his face.

Mary gives a sly smile and shrugs. “Eat your soup Jonathan.”

This is another one of those chapters where finding a balance between description and letting the reader's imagination fill in the blanks, still challenges me. There are several versions that were started in which I describe the abuse inflicted on Jonathan. They all seemed to fall flat when compared to the imagery I get as it now reads. The horror he endured is limited only by the readers mind. I hope it worked.

v/r
JM