Jump Then Fall

14.

This was nothing new. Once again, Derek was late. He was supposed to be at his mother's house at noon for lunch with her and Trevor and Leighton, a trip to the park and then dinner before heading home. It was now five o'clock as he pulled into the drive way of his mom's house after being stuck at the hospital. He had done a routine surgery in the morning and then there had been a pile up on the freeway and a family who's son had fallen off his bike without a helmet. Four surgeries later, he was finally walking into his Mom's house, completely exhausted and ready to see his family.

"In the kitchen Derek!" His mother shouted, just like when he would come home in high school.

"Hi Mom." Derek sighed, walking into the kitchen and quickly taking a seat at the table next to his mom.

"You were supposed to be home at noon." His mother looked exhausted.

"I know...I know."

"I put Leighton down for a nap." She continued. "She was exhausted after staying up late last night like you said. She was getting cranky and of course she started crying every other minute so I put her in bed and she's been asleep for about two hours."

"Thank you." Derek rested his arms on the table and ran his hands through his hair. "Where's Trev?"

"Playing his video game in the other room." Mrs. Shepherd ran her hands over her face. "He's acting up again."

"He's been doing so well."

"Remind me to smack Mark on the head because he's talking like Mark again."

"Oh gosh." Derek groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Son...I know you're trying but I'm being strict with him and I think you need to be too."

"I took away the TV when he talked back and he just got his nintendo back."

"Clearly it's not effective."

"Trev! Get in here please!" Derek called.

"Coming!" The heard from the other room.

"Was he tormenting Leighton?" Derek asked his mother.

"He was teasing and threw the remote at her face so she has a bruise on her chin. I put him in a time out, no sweets after lunch and I told him you were not going to let him go out on his bike this afternoon." His mother answered.

"He threw something at her?" Derek groaned. Trevor had been doing so well, even at school and how all that progress seemed to be gone.

"She was watching tv and he didn't like what she was watching and he turned it." Mrs. Shepherd continued. "Of course I heard them fighting, told him to wait until her show was over and he threw the remote at her. He said he didn't mean to hit her, but I handled it."

"Trevor!" Derek called again. "Come here now!"

"What Dad?" Trevor groaned, walking into the room with his game control. "I said I was coming."

"Give me that please."

"What? Why?"

"You're grandma told me about the remote." Derek grabbed the video game control.

"But I said I was sorry!" Trevor tried to reach for the game control.

"You know that we don't throw things."

"And you don't talk back to adults." Mrs. Shepherd added.

"No video games for a month." Derek told his son.