They Don't Know (BOOK TWO)

Chapter 66

After his shift at Dunkin Donuts, Corey takes the bus to the west end of town and walks into the Oak Hill Hospital. It's the rehab facilitation that his father was assigned to. After signing into the visitors log, Corey takes a seat at one of the tables in the visiting area. The secretary announces his fathers name over the loud speaker and he waits for him to arrive.

Looking around the room, he sees a alot of scenarios. Men holding tiny babies, women holding hands with a loved one, elderly people hugging a patient, kids drawing pictures. So many different stories in this room, so many people trying to get better. Truthfully he was hesitant to come here today, scared that his father might lash out on him. But he needs to see him. He has so many questions. So many thoughts floating around in his head. He hasn't seen his father since the day he put him into a coma and now he's finally ready to face him. Especially since the coming week is going to be filled with a lot of court dates, guardian stuff to take care off and paper work about the case to be filed. He just wants to talk to his dad before the chaos begins.

A few minutes later the chair across from him scrapes across the floor and his father sits down. He's dressed in grey sweatpants with a black t-shirt. His beard looks scruffy and more streaks of grey are visible in his hair. Wrinkle lines crease his brown ski and his eyes look weary yet alert and filled with an emotion Corey can't decipher.

"I'm surprised you're here." His dad says.

Corey shrugs, "Well I can't just let you rot in here."

"I'm assuming you're here to talk about what happened that day, right?" His father's rough voice ask. They both know what day he's talking about, there's no need to say it.

"What did you do to me that made me slip into a coma?" Corey asks, his eyes locked on his father.

Licking his lips, his father rubs his chin deep in thought. His eyes are filled with remorse and worry as he looks at Corey and the tension between them is thick. He inhales deeply then folds his arms on the table, his adams apple bobbing before he speaks. "I kicked you in the head where you were already bleeding. I was only meaning for you to pass out, not slip into a coma."

"Well you got the latter." Corey snears remembering the excruciating pain he experienced. "Why would you do that?"

His father shrugs, "I wanted you to forget about what had just happened. I didn't want you to think about the fight we just had. I thought it would be better for you to just wake up not knowing what went down between us and just move on. I was planning to disappear from your life, it would make things easier for everyone." He pauses and Corey wants to go off on him but he holds his tongue. "But after I got word that you were in a coma, I couldn't just abandon you like that."

"How thoughtful of you." Corey says sarcastically. "How'd you even hear I was in a coma?"

"Some friends of mine told me how Raymond was locked up because of assualt to you, the cops got him to confess by guilt tripping him with the fact that you were in a coma. Then the warrant was out for my arrest." His father shakes his head and Corey can see the regret in his eyes. "I was on the run, sleeping at a different friends house each night. Then I got tired of running, I couldn't hide forever. So I went to visit you in the hospital the day before I turned myself in."

Corey nods his head as he tries to process all that his father is telling him. He blinks and pulls at the strings on his hoodie. "I heard everything you said while I was in the coma."

Surprise takes over his dads face and his eyes widen. "You did?"

"Yeah, I was trying to wake myself up but I guess my body wasnt ready. By the time I opened my eyes you were gone." He says.