I opened my eyes, I felt exhausted. I'm not sure where I am, and I think I know what happened. I turned my head to see Mark sitting in a chair, hit leg bouncing like it always does when he's stressed out.
"Sean!" He exclaimed as he noticed I was awake "God I'm so glad you're okay. why didn't you tell me?" He sighed
"I-I didn't want to worry you." I stuttered
"Babe, you leaving your sons room after he just woke up from a suicide attempt and pass out worries me. When did you do this?" He asked looking at my arm
"Right after." I sighed
"Why? I mean, I see why but is there more?" He asked
"Mark, I... I lost a student last night, I almost lost my son, I've lost 4 students in total this year, all for the same reason. I...I'm supposed to protect them, especially my own kid a-and I can't even do that." I said crying "How does nobody in that damn school not see the problem. How does nobody else notice how much of a failure of a father I am."
"Sean... You can't save everybody." Mark sighed
"I could at least save my own son."
Parents can only do so much Sean. Do you really think we would know Jace was being bullied if you weren't there every day? I don't think he would tell us because it's what he's used to." Mark told me
"That was his old life."
"One that he lived in for 10 years. One where he was beaten, and god knows what else." Mark reminded me
"I'm sorry. I was stupid, a-and selfish, I just... needed a beak, and-"
"And you haven't been taking your medication in three weeks." He pointed out
"I'm just a dumbass. Maybe Ma was right." I sighed
"Hey, we moved here to get away from that. Don't bring her here with you. Look babe, I know you didn't do this on purpose, and a few of your co-workers told me you seemed off this week. I just hoped it was something else, like the argument you had with your boss, or being worried about Jace, but you've had a lot on your mind. I just, I wish you would tell me. I love you and I don't want to lose you." He cried as he hugged me
"Sean, you mother fucker." I heard someone say
"Dude why didn't you tell me something was wrong in the car." Dean said
"Cause you shouldn't have to worry about your teacher-"
"Shut the fuck up. Do you not understand that the few of us that you've had since day 1 have fucked up lives and see you as more than a teacher? Sean most of us see you as a Parent. So fuck, yeah we worry about you. Even if you are fine, we all worry about you. Before we saw your arm,we worried, after we saw your arm, and how fresh some of those scars were, we sure as fuck worried. We see you as fucking Family. You've saved our lives, you've saved my life more than once, and you don't even realize it." Dean told me
"Dean, I can't even save my own child. How the hell have I saved any of you?" I asked
"I figured you'd say that, so." He said waving his had and 4 of my students entered the room. The first to speak was Sam.
"Sean, I know my life seems pretty perfect compared to most of the kids, but when I was 14, and came out as gay, I was beaten, bullied, and just neglected at school. Then we had one of our famous talks and you told me about Mark. I was planing to kill myself that day. During that lunch period. But Sean, you made me realize that I'm not weird or abnormal, that being gay was how I was born and that it's okay." Sam explained
"Sean, When I was 12, I fucking hated you for ratting out my mom after you found the bruises. I was mad because she was my mother and you had me taken from her, but as I grew up, I realized that you saved me. That if someone hadn't done something she would have killed me by now. You didn't even know half of the pain, about the rape, about my father, but you made it your goal to save me, even if it meant losing your life. I remember you coming to "tutor" me and almost being stabbed by mom. I also remembering that day how much of a monster she was. But you took her on, to save a student. Normal teachers don't do that." Clay told me
"Where do I even start with you Mr.McLoughlin. Colby was the worst decision I had ever made. I had such a low self esteem, starving myself, so we'd have lunch together so you knew I at least had 1 meal that day, helping me realize that being beaten wasn't normal in a relationship. You've done so much and honestly, I owe you my life." Kaitlyn smiled
"Pa, you do so much for everyone else, you forget about you sometimes. You, you saved me, you convinced me to tell the police about him, you took me in after I lost mom. You almost died trying to protect me when he showed up at our door. Fuck you were stabbed 9 times and still managed to save me. You do everything in your power to make sure we are all happy, and could care less for your own life, which scares me by the way. You're one of the most amazing fathers on fucking planet earth, even if you're sad. Pa everybody has a problem. Alcohol addiction, drugs, mental health, physical health, hording, something, but that doesn't make you any less of a person. Fuck look at you and Dad, all the shit you two took in high school but you still stayed together. That would fuck anybody up, and fuck knows what either of you had going on when you went home. You're an amazing Dad, and an amazing teacher Pa." Jace told me
"You guys are all so sweet." I said crying
"Well we love you Pa. If this is how you feel about yourself, that you're a failure, then take a good fuckin look around, cause this looks pretty successful to me." Jace laughed hugging me
YOU ARE READING
The Teacher Who Cared
Fanfiction"Sean is the only teacher who actually seems to genuinely care for his students. He sure as hell cares more then you." Mason told her I loaded Jace into my car and we were off. Finally, we found Dean, Sitting on the railing of the freeway. "Dean...
