SECRETS - A CALEB MCLAUGHLIN AU STORY

CHAPTER 9 - TIME TO CHOOSE

CHAPTER 9

TIME TO CHOOSE

The doctor flashes the big light pen in front of Jacob's eyes, much to his annoyance. As soon as it's gone, he blinks, the bright light still showing, bouncing around in his vision.

"Ok, everything looks normal," the doctor says.

Caleb was sitting down in the chair next to the bed,

"Can he go home now, doc?" he asks.

The doctor shakes his head while writing in his notepad,

"We'll want to keep him an extra 24 hours for observation."

"Oh, come on, man," Caleb complains, visibly annoyed, "He's been here for two months."

"Indeed he has," the doctor mutters, not looking up from his notepad, "Which is exactly why he needs to be observed after two months of catatonia."

Caleb sighs, "Man..."

"It's ok, Jacob..." Jacob looks over to him, "I'm still processing everything. Maybe staying another day will help me calm down before I go back out into the world."

"That's the idea," the doctor continues to barely mutter, "We're gonna keep you an extra 24 hours to observe you. Dr. Lewis will see you tomorrow morning."

The doctor then turns around and walks out.

Caleb shakes his head, a clear look of annoyance and disapproval in his voice,

"Man, that doctor be hatin!"

Jacob raises an eyebrow, "How was he 'hatin'"?

"Motherfucker wouldn't even look up from his notepad," Caleb shakes his head, "The disrespect..."

Jacob chuckles, "Who cares? I don't."

Caleb sighs, "You right."

All of a sudden, the door opens again. It's Jacob's mother and father.

Jacob still hasn't seen his father since that day.

A huge swell of emotion hits Jacob's mother very visibly, as she rushes forward, tears instantly swelling up in her eyes,

"Oh, my baby boy!"

She leans forward and embraces her son. Jacob smiles,

"Hey, mom."

His mother is audibly crying.

"Oh, my baby boy!" she continues to cry.

She lets go of him, but looks at her son dead in the eye with tears,

"Oh, my son! I'm so glad to see you ok!"

Jacob lightly chuckles, "As good as new!"

She chuckles, then leans back, and Jacob finally makes eye contact with his father,

"Hello, son."

Jacob feels... a LOT of things upon seeing his father. He takes a deep breath.

"Hey."

Jacob's father takes his own deep breath,

"Son... I've really thought about what you said. I know I wasn't there for you. I know I disapprove of so many things... and I am sorry. I want to be a better man, a better father, for you, from here on out. Ok?"

Jacob takes a long breath. He simply nods with a light smile.

We'll see, pops... We'll see.

"There's something else, Jacob," Caleb says, his voice growing a bit serious.