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“Stand up slowly there” the nurse urged holding her hand in his and the other around the dressing that was wrapped around his waist “You ready to take a trip to the bathroom” she asked as he legs dangled over the edge of the bed. This was a milestone for Brian, and he was more than happy to take it, but now that he was up he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to move.

“Can’t we just move the whole bed over to the bathroom” he whined.

The nurse helped again as he struggled to take his first unsteady steps, he hadn’t realized how cramped his muscles had been from the weeks of lying in a hospital bed. He spent a large amount of his time watching television and or playing video games, so this would be a welcoming sight, to actually move about.

Since his neck was in a brace and his jaw was plated, the talking was somewhat difficult as well. His parent’s had resorted to evening visits so Brian was almost asleep by the time they would leave. Other times he read books, nothing too interesting, just some old heap of bounded papers that his Mom had brought him.

As he inched his way to the toilet and held his hand against the metal bar, he began to think “Less than two months ago I would’ve been laughing at the people who used a hand railing. Now look at me” he scoffed quietly to himself as he lifted up the front of his open-back gown “I didn’t think I would get so much pleasure out of pissing in the toilet either” he continued.

He pushed his way over to the sink and placed his hands under the faucet turning the handle then letting the cool water turn to warm. All the simple mundane pleasures were like joyous moments as more weeks went by. The first walk down the hall, with a walker to steady him, and then independently getting to and fro from the bed to the bathroom, it was all so mundane but yet to someone who had gone from death, or almost death, to having almost all your body part’s broken and then to miraculously recover to this stage. Brian was proud of the baby steps he was making.

As he etched his way down the corridor with his walker he saw his parent’s walk up. At the first glance of his father, Brian knew something was wrong. His Mom had said she wouldn’t tell, and if there was one person Brian could trust it was her.

As they reached him, Brian clearly understood that he had underestimated how furious his Dad was. His face was crimson red, and his eyes deep and angry with a narrowed brow that scorned back at Brian.

“I learn from Detective Taylor and Campbell that the child you left us with us, was not Leighanne’s. They thought I was the suspect, me” his words flew like a large bulldozer, lunging itself into Brian’s stomach.

“I can explain” Brian stuttered, his balance was wavering as well. Brian could feel the pressure and disappointment descending on him.

“And you tricked you Mother into lying to me about it” He voice rose.

“Harold, please he’s ill” Jackie begged, Harold glared at her.

“Dad if you’ll just let me explain”

“I don’t need you to explain. I spoke with Claire’s parents, and they shared the whole story. It’s wonderful I live in a pack of wolves who slink around and lie to my face. This is not a game Brian!”

“What isn’t?”

Brian had heard nothing about the investigation, as far as he knew all that had happened was he had mysteriously been found fallen from a tree with a large hole, stuffed with a blood-drenched shirt stuck inside of it. The doctors had only babbled on how amazing it was that he lived through the ordeal.

Harold turned to Jackie, his hands on his hips merely to keep them from balling up into a fist and slamming it into the hospital wall “He doesn’t know sweetheart” Jackie said softly she too was still disappointed, but it had been a few weeks since she found out.

Harold pulled his hand up to his mouth covering it, then moving it down to his chin to rub both the frustration and the anger that was controlling his temper. He sighed quickly throwing his hands up as he let his head fall forward.

…………..


“They found you about a yard away from the tree, with a wound in your chest, and too many broken bones to count. As they searched further down the gully they found Leighanne, she was dead. A psychologist has been trying to get an evaluation on you to see if you are competent to stand trial. The whole thing is a mess and the detectives, without your testimony, have been stabbing in the dark for any information on the case. They don’t know if you attacked Leighanne, or if it was the other way around.”

“I wouldn’t do anything like that” Brian said in his defense.

“You wouldn’t” His father questioned irritated.

“Harold” Jackie whispered distraughtly under her breath.
“Well I don’t know what to believe. I’ve been taking care of a child that has no mother, and who’s father lied to me.”

“I told you I’m sorry”

“You sorry about killing Leighanne too” Harold growled as they sat in the small room.

Jackie opened her mouth chastise him again, but his glare silenced her.

“I was the one with the knife wound in my chest. I didn’t do anything to her. I don’t remember what happened, but I would’ve killed myself if I had done anything to hurt Leighanne.”

Harold drew his head to the side annoyed and Jackie rested her hand over his. They were entwined so tight on the table Brian could see the white in his knuckles. He looked up as his dad sighed again, which happened to occur most every time Brian tried to get a word in.

“You don’t believe me” Brian said watching his mom wedge her hand in-between his dads, most likely to stop him from twisting the blood out of circulation.

“We want to believe you” his mom smiled “But the juries going to want more than just a thought of you being innocent.”

“What if we were in a fight at we just slid off the road, and into the tree, and then we both fell out. Then wouldn’t they just rule it as an accident?” he was trying to keep control of his words, to try and be reasonable.

“Brian” Harold blew out air slowly staring at the table for a moment before he looked up “Why did you leave your child, a newborn. In our care, and lie to us about it.”

It was so simple, Brian thought, because I was married, and I didn’t want to ruin what I had “I, I wanted to tell Leighanne, but since she was in production –“

“Bullshit” Harold stood up pushing his chair back “Don’t try and pull that with me” Harold pointed his finger in Brian’s face fiercely; Jackie rested her hand on his arm pushing it lightly down.

“I was married, but I knew that Leighanne would leave if I told her. I just was going to have him stay till I got back from production in Sweden. I told you that part, and Leighanne was working on her show doing her last minute things with it. I was going to put her up for adoption.” Brian said in a rush.

“And to think, I was badgered about hiding this from the cops, from detectives. I was defending you.” Harold walked to the edge of the room Jackie watched him then looked down covering her eyes for a moment with her head, as if she had a headache.

“So, that’s why there was no announcement about the baby. Because Leighanne and I didn’t have a child together” Brian finished watching his mom lay her hand flat on the table and sweep it of like she was whipping crumbs from the kitchen table at home.

Harold shook his head, looking sideways at the large window in the room, then turned for the door mumbling that he was going to take a breather.

“I knew he would be mad.” Brian sulked.

“Well Brian, what did you expect?” Jackie looked up, Brian saw the red flush through her face, and he hadn’t realized that she might be as upset as his dad, or maybe she was upset because he had made her keep it from his dad

“I was trying to own up to my actions” Brian whined defensively “I’m sorry, alright.” He watched his mother’s face fall. When she looked up she was crying. She wrapped her arms around herself.

“And he was so mad at me, for not telling him. Brian do you know what that does” she said in frustration “Do you know how hard that is?”

“Yeah” Brian bent his head, every time he was close to Leighanne he thought about keeping his secret. “I was doing that to Leighanne ever since we were married.”

Jackie leaned over and picked up his hands in hers, tears still spilling down her face “Brian, we are behind you. No matter what happens we are behind you, but make no mistake that this has had a ripple effect far larger than you could imagine” she stood up gracefully and walked over kissing her sons head before she walked out.