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Chapter Eleven - November 16 - Kevin

I winced at the bright, unrelenting light that was being shined in my right eye. My head felt like it had cracked in half and been put back together with super glue. Before I could complain, the light was shone into my left eye.

"Mr. Richardson?"

With great effort, I opened both of my eyes. It hurt; everything hurt. My body hurt, but more importantly my heart hurt. I stared at a strange doctor and looked around.

Somebody must have found me.

"How are we doing, Kevin?" the doctor said. I looked at him coldly. How did he think I was doing?

"Do you know why you're here?" he said, trying a different tactic. Again, I just stared.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, the doctor left the room. I was just about ready to close my eyes again when my mom walked in. Her face was stained with tears. She sank down by the bed and took my hand.

“Kevin, what were you thinking?” she said. I didn’t respond.

“Is that why you brought Mason to me? So you could go back and drink yourself to death?”

Again, I didn’t answer. After several moments of silence she patted my hand and left the room.

I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I had given up; Kristin had won. A part of me rationalized that I probably could be okay even if we got a divorce. But losing Mason? There wasn’t a life without my son.

“I didn’t know you were a coward.”

My eyes turned to the doorway of the hospital room. They narrowed as Addy approached the bed.

“You almost killed yourself,” she said quietly. “How is that going to help you keep custody of Mason?”

I closed my eyes. Obviously mom had been having a lovely chat with my rescuer.

“If I was Mason, I’d be so disappointed in you.”

“Leave me the fuck alone. I won the bet remember?”

She snorted. “All bets were called off the minute that I had to see you slumped on that damn couch smelling like every alcohol ever invented with blood running out of your mouth.”

I felt a hard jab to the shoulder. “Open your eyes!”

“Why do you care?” I asked. “I’m no one.”

“Why do I care? Why do I care? I care that a little three year old little boy who thinks the world of you isn’t going to be able to see you because you just rolled over and gave up. Is that why your wife left you? Because you’re a drunk?”

My eyes flew open. “You don’t know anything about me,” I said angrily.

She held up her hands. “True, I don’t. All I’m saying is that you need to channel some of that anger that you’ve been shooting at me into something that really matters.”

She stomped out of the room, slamming the hospital door behind her.

I stared angrily at the wall. She didn’t know what she was talking about. She just needed to go back to Sadieville and leave me the hell alone.

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November 18

Two days later, I was released from the hospital. I had sworn my mom to secrecy about what happened. I could just hear Brian if he caught wind of my stupidity.

The day before my release, a psychologist had paid me a visit. Knowing that it would be the only way that I would be released, I opened up. Surprisingly, most of what the psychologist said was just what Addy had told me as she screamed at me the day before. Of course, the psychologist was a lot nicer about it.

Mom drove me back to her house. The first thing I did was look around for Mason. I hadn’t wanted her to bring him to the hospital, but I couldn’t wait to see him again.

“I need to tell you something,” mom said quietly as I called out for him. I looked over at her.

“Kristin came and picked him up last night,” mom said quietly. “Mason accidentally told her you were in the hospital.”

I closed my eyes. I felt my mom’s hand on my back.

“I better make a few phone calls,” I said quietly. “I need a lawyer.”

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Later that afternoon, I was sitting across from the best attorney in Lexington, Robert McShaw. He was going over the divorce summons, a frown on his face.

“The first thing we need to do is get a temporary custody schedule in place,” he said. “I think a more permanent fix is going to take a little longer. Did you have a prenup?”

I looked at him blankly. “I never thought I’d need a prenup,” I said.

Robert winced. “Yeah, that’s often the problem the first time around.”

I didn’t say anything, but I couldn’t help but think there’d never be another time around.

“She’s probably going to get a good chunk then,” he continued.

“I don’t care about that. I just want to know when I can get Mason back,” I said quietly.

“Well, in order to do that and get ready for our first battle, I need you to get some letters of character reference from friends and family, compile a list of your monthly income compared to Kristin’s, and a custody schedule that would work for you. Keep in mind that I don’t think the judge will award sole custody to either of you.”

Robert flipped through a few more papers. “Now, you just got out of the hospital?”

I nodded. He read the report and sighed. “I think it might be within your best interest to also do an outpatient alcohol recovery program.”

I looked surprised. “It was just a stupid mistake.”

He smiled at me kindly but with cold reality in his eyes. “It’s the type of stupid mistake that could cost you months out of the year away from your son.”

As I left the office, I felt like vomiting.

Addy had been right. Because I rolled over and gave up, I had given Kristin more fuel. It was time to channel my anger into getting back on the right track for the person that needed me most.