Daddy Venom.

Chapter 17: Returned

I lay on my bed at home wide awake as Tink sleeps completely in shock at the day's earlier events. I get up and walk downstairs to go for a late-night stroll when I check my phone for any messages. Though late I often have something from workaround now. I see a message from Bell I hadn't seen earlier and click it. It read:

Marshall...sorry about earlier. We expected this at least but I didn't think to that extent...

I sigh putting the phone away and put on a grey jacket and jogging pants exiting the house starting my run to clear my head.

oOo

"Yeah Venom it's me. At least I hope it is." He smirks and weakly sighs.

"What did they say on him?" I ask Bell concerned.

"He will be feeling weak from the surgery and unable to leave until he has built up his strength enough. And even when he is permitted to leave, he will have to attend a physical therapist for a little while and an actual therapist to talk about what happened." Travis looks away hearing her say this, possibly in shame.

"Travis, in your comatose, could you bear anything or remember anything going on around you?" I ask slightly worried he heard what I said to him yesterday.

He sighs and leans his head back staring at the ceiling. "I had a dream." He says with a monotone and emotionless face. "In it, I couldn't see anything but I could hear. And I heard my dad, I don't know how I knew it was him but I did. He came and talked to me but when I tried to talk back I couldn't. When he finished talking, he started to leave and I tried hard, I tried HARD, to say anything to make him stay but couldn't." He starts to tear up and look away angrily. "He just left and I couldn't stop him!" She sniffles and blinks out tears. "And I tried with all the energy I had in my body but not even a peep would come out." He turns his head, eyes closed, so he us facing his mom holding back the urge to cry.

She walks over to him grasping his hand smiling. "Travis, it'll be ok. Keith, Tink, can you please wait outside?" She asks them. They both go leaving only Bell, Travis and me. I get nervous as I know what she is about to do. "Travis. When you said you could hear him talking do you know what he was saying?" He nods his head.

"Bits and pieces."

"Did it sound something like this." I pause for a moment and begin saying a few words of what I said to him again.

He sniffles and looks at me than his mom. "Y-yes how did you..." He says before Bell grabs his hand again kneeling beside him.

"Marshall, I think you should tell him." She says her eyes getting red from sad emotions starting to well up inside of her.

"Venom?" He says looking perplexed.

"We didn't know at first but...we found out that your mom and I have a history together. And we found out that...I'm your dad..." His eyes fly open with shock as his heart rate begins to increase. "Travis neither of us knew that you were we didn't even remember each other until last Saturday," I tell him hoping he'd understand.

"It's true Travis. Before you were born, we lost contact and I never got to tell him I was pregnant with you and Keith." His heart rate begins to increase more as his eyes flare in hurt and betrayal.

"Get out." He says quietly. Asking what he repeats himself screaming. "GET OUT!" I step back in shock and so does his mom.

"But..." Just then the doctor comes bursting through the door.

"What's going on with here?! His heart rate is off the charts he shouldn't be going through such stimulus so soon!" He says checking on Travis.

"GET OUT VENOM!" He yells with no regard for who hears. Tears welling in his eyes and nostrils flaring the doctor looks at me.

"Sir, I need you to leave for his own safety less you want him to slip into a now stress-induced comatose." I slowly nod and exit the room ushering Tink to follow as we exit the hospital and go to the car.

When we get to it Tink gets in the back and just as I was prepared to get inside a man walks up behind me pushing a sharp object to my back. "Wallet now. And don't try anything funny." He says in a raspy voice.

I slowly turn around and look him in the eyes. "So, I've had a very bad last ten minutes so ahead of time I just want to apologize." He looks at me confused.

"Apologize for what?"

I in one swift movement take the sleeve of my jacket to knock the knife away then grab him by his arm, pulling him to me, where I give him a hard uppercut. Grunting with the impact I send him to the ground out cold. "That." I get in the car as Tink looks scared and in awe at what just happened. She doesn't say anything however and I don't either. Sending Bell, a message to have hospital security to come to get this guy, I go on to drive us home. When we get there, I tell Tink to wash up and I'll make us our dinner.

I decided that since we were learning French today, I would make her a French-style mean, so I make Chicken Cordon Bleu Quesadillas and Crêpes. It's times like these I am glad my mother forced me to learn to cook when I was younger and...when he left.

While everything is cooking, I have fifteen minutes before I need to prepare it all so I go take a quick shower in the downstairs bathroom. I keep a little dresser box in it so I always have at least a spare pair of clothes just in case. When I finish, I have three extra minutes so I prepare the table just as Tink comes down in her nightclothes.

Sniffing the aroma in the air she does the sly drool escaping her lips, "mmm that smells good." She says taking her seat across from me.

"It's something from my that childhood that I think you'll enjoy." We smile, give each other so happy look and dig into the meal. Her joyous drools with each bite and laugh at stories of her time with her grandmother.

It's the simple times like this that let me know I made the right choice in choosing to raise her, even in the worst of times. It also makes me regret not making these moments with Travis, Keith, and Bell.

oOo

When I finish my late-night run, I quietly enter my house seeing the time is almost 1:40am. Taking off my clothes I go to be in only my underwear and let sleep succumb over me.

That morning when I awoke, I took a shower and dressed myself in some casual clothes. Today marks the first day of December so that also means Christmas Easter eggs for what Tink wants. I make myself some coffee and wait for Tink to come down for breakfast. It's Sunday, so neither of us have anything to do since we don't go to church. We may stay inside and watch movies together all day if nothing comes up. When she finally came down, I had already prepared some coffee for me, a baguette with butter, cereal for Tink, and an apple for her.

"Good morning Boss." She says happily taking her seat at the table.

"Good morning Tink. How are you feeling? You know how winter weather aggravated your asthma ever December." I say worried.

"I feel fine Boss, it's ok." She says assuring me.

"If you say so, here eat some breakfast. I have nothing planned today so why not a movie day? I can go buy some of that popcorn you like and rent a movie out a movie." Wiping the milk from her mouth she smiles warmly.

"That would be amazing Boss." She continues eating as I drink my coffee waiting to leave for the store. When done she puts on some warm clothes as do I and we head to the store to get a movie and popcorn. Tink gets in the back while I drive and plays on my phone.

"So, have you thought about what you want for Christmas this year?" I ask her staying focused on the road.

"Hmm haven't given it much thought." She says thinking. "Well I still don't have a phone so how about this?" She searches something on my phone before handing it back to me. I take several glances at the phone to see a website about a phone that came out a few months ago. The price, while expensive for most, wasn't much for me so I decide in my head to get it for her but not tell her for sure I will.

"That's a nice choice, let's see what happens." She smiles as do I and we continue our drive to the mall.