CAPTIVITY

36. Innocent

*This Chapter is Dedicated To Marshall AKA the real-life Finley*

6 months later

(Jonathan POV)

I stand with my hands about to rip my hair out over the scene set before me. 

"Finley what the fuck do you think you're doing?!" 

I yell at my six-year-old son who decided that standing on a chair with a fork in hand and get electrocuted once he stuck it in the toaster, was a fantastic idea. The room was flooded with a thick black smoke and I pry the toaster away from my crazy child and his cousin Marius. 

"What's wrong daddy? I was trying to show Mari a cool trick," I can only imagine my brother Peter's frustration when I sent Mari home after all the shit he picks up from this devil's influence. Mari looks up at me with his wide sea green eyes and soft waves of the lightest sandy blonde baby hair, looking like a perfect angel in comparison to my thick black hair, mischievous grey hazel eyed, freckle-faced demon child. 

"No this is not a cool, its not cool at all! You could die! Do you know what death is? Both of you!?" I ask the children while fanning the smoke from my watery eyes and turning on the vent above the stove. Unfortunately, it was Saturday and I'm left wondering why school isn't open seven days a week. 

"It's when you fall asleep and never wake up again," Finley says and I yank the charred piece of rye bread out of the toaster to toss it in the garbage.

 "That's right now if you..." Finley interrupts me as I sweep the crumbs into the trash, 

"Is that what papa did?" He asks and I pause, his small voice hits me harder than I expected.

 I find myself doubled over the counter, closing my eyes and quickly counting to ten as I let the wave of grief pass over me. When I open my eyes again I try to forget what he said and move on. 

"Why don't we get out of the house today, it looks like it stopped raining, let's go to the park boys, go get your coats on," I tell them with a weak smile and they happily rush off to grab their little raincoats from the mudroom.

 "It's just one of those days Johnny," I tell myself as I grasp the counter for just a few more seconds. Shoving the emotion back into the vault before moving on to join them in case they magically find a way to try to start another fire.

Splashing in the puddles through meticulously calculated obstacle courses of their own imagination, Fin and Mari keep themselves busy in between fits of laughter. 

Mari, who is a year younger than Fin, cautiously puts one little blue rainboot in the water, only getting the toe wet while gripping the hood of his light blue raincoat, to protect himself. Fin on the other hand, dives right in without fear with his little greet boots and jet black raincoat, laughing as he runs straight through. I sit on the park bench and watch them relatively close.

"Isn't it nice to be innocent, without a care in the world other than leaping into puddles." 

Surprised and somewhat startled by the voice which held a familiar New Yorker American accent, I look over to see a young man had rolled up beside the bench in a wheelchair. He had this sweeping light brown hair and big brown eyes that watched the boys in amusement, he was dressed in normal clothes but the hospital band on his left arm stood out to me the most.

 It was the same color band that Ashley has to wear. The turquoise blue was such a happy colored before it was ruined by the new symbolic meaning the hospital reassigned to it; Terminal illness.

 "Yeah, to be that young again, One can only dream," I sigh into the gentle island breeze that rustles its way through the various indigenous palm trees. I tug a little on my sleeve to hide my own black band taunt to my wrist. 

But I had a feeling he already seen it. 

"I have six boys of my own. It's been awhile since I've last seen them though, because of this," He lifts his arm to show the hospital band and I nod.

 "Six boys? Christ man, how do you do it?" I ask, overwhelmed with just two boys. He gives a light-hearted chuckle before going into a coughing fit that reminded me too much of my husband.

 "Ah, I was lucky to have an amazing wife and the boys are just angels overall. You, on the other hand, look like you have your hands full," He says and I turn to see Finley had started stomping in the mud while Mari stroked the puddle with a single finger to innocently watch the ripples. 

"Yeeeeah. It's going to be hell to get them cleaned up later." I mutter under my breath and he smiles. 

"My eldest boy just loves jumping into this old pond we have in the backyard. Its a gross pond with all sorts of animals and his mother is constantly yelling at him and punishing him each time he does it because she's scared he's going to get worms or something. But yet he keeps on going without a care in the world. I guess that shows you something of his character. It was just starting to shine through when I left." The man sighs and I'm led to assume he pulled an Ashley and hasn't seen his kids since he got sick.

 "Sorry, they remind me of them and make me miss my boys, I'm Christopher Caspian, but you can call me Chris," He introduces himself with a warm smile and I shake his outstretched hand.

 "Jonathan Grayson," I tell myself and he sits back in his wheelchair. 

"Are you related to my doctor by any chance? Peter Grayson?" He asks and I give a brief nod. 

"He's my little brother, believe it or not," I smirk, the man was only 30 and already had a small streak of gray going through his jet black hair from the stress. 

"He's an incredible guy but I'm sure you already know that. I was surprised when I first met him after he moved me here. I thought he was going to be some genius, pretentious, asshole but he's the complete opposite, I wonder how he does it." Christopher explains and I slowly shake my head.

 "I don't know how he does it either, he has a beautiful family too. The little guy in the blue coat is his youngest son," I point out the little angel with his perfect rosy cheeks sitting by himself on the playground while my demon child was busy rolling in the mud. 

"He's beautiful...I wish you and your family the best. I can tell by the black band that something's going on with your loved ones too," He says and I draw back. 

Not wanting to talk about it.