The Final Ride

Chapter 5

Mrs. Whittle insisted on driving Rory to the hospital. They roused Emma and sit to wait, just in case Asher woke up, with her cellphone in hand. It only added to Rory's panic but she couldn't drive and packing the kids up would take too long.

"Please try to call Happy," Rory cried as they pulled right up to the ER doors. "Send him here as soon as you can, I need him."

Sullen and worried herself for the boy, Mrs. Whittle nodded and hurried back to the house. Rory almost couldn't walk into Saint Thomas, she felt physically ill driving by it on the best of days after losing Olivia there, but now she was shaking and retching before even arriving.

Rory headed in, crying, and was barely able to say his name when Tig appeared behind her. "Ror," he tensed as she turned, afraid of her reaction, and took her hand. "His room is down here, come on."

"My baby," she whispered as he pulled her down the hall. "Is Tara here?"

"Yeah, she's talking to his doctor now. He's not in his room, they have him for tests and shit."

It was no surprise she hadn't yet attacked him, her eyes were glassy and she seemed lost, sinking in her fear as well as her memories from the very same hospital.

"He has to be okay," she cried as they arrived at Knox's room. "Alex, he has to be okay. He's my baby."

Tig didn't say anything, he couldn't, the guilt squeezed his throat and until he could barely breathe. Pushing the door open Tig led Rory in and pushed her to sit on the empty bed.

"I'm sorry."

Looking up at him she felt a rage building in her stomach but she lacked the energy to act on it. "What happened? Did you not latch it? Did you forget to lock his door?"

Tig didn't look her in her eyes. Truth was, he never even put a lock on the kid's door because most nights Knox stayed they crashed on the couch after TV marathon. Sure it wasn't the most responsible but they had such fun but the memories now broke Tig's heart.

"I didn't lock it," he admitted. "He usually doesn't sleep alone Ror but I, I never put it up."

"You didn't even put the lock on?" She asked, her face twisting into a maniacal kind of furious smile. "It's been years," she slid off the bed and pushed him away from her. "And now look what happened!"

"I'm sorry," he whinnied as she cried hate filled tears.

"Where were you?"

He went blank, not having padded his lie that much in advance, and stumbled on his words. "Shower, I uhh, I got a shower."

"My little boy," she whimpered, wrapping her arms around herself. "You better hope to god he's okay. You know what happened to the last person who hurt my children."

"Rory," Tara and another doctor stepped into the room with solemn faces. "Knox is being settled in PICU, you can see him soon, but we wanted to go over some of the results with you."

"Please," Rory nodded enthusiastically. "What's going on?"

"This is Dr. Schultz," Tara introduced the man beside her.

"I'll be Knox's doctor but Dr. Knowles will be working closely on his case."

"His case?" Tig swallowed hard. "That sounds really fucking bad."

"Well, it's not good, Tig," Tara said coolly.

"Knox has a few broken bones, cuts and bruises," Dr. Schultz started. "Our main concern though is the skull fracture. The paramedic said he landed against the corner of the molding and right there is where Knox has a depressed skull fracture."

Rory buried her head in her hands. "Oh my god," she whispered. "What does that mean then?"

"He'll most likely need surgery to, essentially, set his skull and relieve any pressure." The doctor spoke softly but with strength and confidence. "He'll be sedated and monitored overnight, we'll x-ray his head in the morning once the initial swelling subsides to see how necessary it will be. I don't want to do the surgery unless it's absolutely unavoidable."

"Will he be okay?" Rory muttered, shock settling over her. "After everything, I mean, he'll be okay. Right?"

"I'm very optimistic about your son, it's just a matter of getting him through this, getting him to the recovery side of this injury."

"Okay," Rory nodded. "Can I see him? I can stay overnight, right? He can't be alone. I can't leave him alone."

Tara immediately moved to comfort Rory, pulling her into a hug, as Dr. Schultz as himself out. "I'll walk you through everything, Rory. Okay? I'll take you to his room, get you some pillows and a cot. You don't have to leave him."

Not only was Rory dealing with the current situation but she was battling memories of Olivia and, in her own way, Tara was too. As much as she knew scientifically Olivia's death wasn't her fault, he felt like it was and she wondered if Rory even wanted her involved with Knox's treatment.

"Thank you," Rory stammered. "Thank you, Tara."

"Ror, I gotta go," Tig interrupted the women and their quiet moment.

"What?" She hissed as she turned from Tara. "You're leaving?"

He couldn't look at either of them but even without eye contact he felt the hate in their stares. "Yeah, I gotta handle some shit. I'll be back though, I promise, in a few hours."

"What is wrong with you?" Tara hissed, stepping back to give them some semblance of privacy.

"Don't come back," Rory growled. "I'll have Hap update you. I don't want to see you again. Ever."

Tig hung his head. "Please don't say that. I love him, he's our boy, I just..."

Rory slapped Tig hard across the face. "You don't deserve to be his father."

"You're right...I don't."

With those four words Tig left the room, heading home, and immediately went to the back shed where the intruder from earlier in the evening was tied up. The scene replayed in his head incessantly. The stranger broke in, ready to take who or whatever he needed which turned out being the boy, in hopes of getting the money Tig owed. In the commotion, Knox already in the intruder's grasp, was thrown down the steps when his father attempted to save him. Tig had plans, ways to clear his debt by using the man as leverage but all he wanted to do now was take his rage and sorrow out on him.

"You hurt my boy," Tig grumbled as he stepped into the shed. "And now I'm gonna hurt you."