Several people visited throughout the day, everyone except her husband. It was Anna who held her after they told her she lost the baby. It was Hunter that had been her target as she screamed and said the cruelest things possible. He never even flinched. It was her Uncle Brian that told her about her father. Alive but unlikely to live through the night. It was hate she felt when she thought about him. The wreck wasn’t his fault, it was a man who was too impatient to get home. But how could she go in to her father’s room and comfort him when she was so angry. She knew the answer though, she could let him die without telling him she forgives him…even if she didn’t mean it. She could unburden his soul.

“I want to see my dad,” she said.

Only her Uncle Justin was in the room with her. Everyone wanted to spend the last moments with her dad, and she understood. She didn’t want him to go but maybe he would finally find the peace that has eluded him since Daddy B died.

Justin called for a wheelchair and she was wheeled down the hall into the trauma room her dad was still at. She was surprised that only her Uncle Brian was in the room, holding her dad’s hand. There was so many machines hooked up to him. But she could see his eyes opened, even if a tube was down his throat.

Brian watched as his goddaughter went to her father’s bedside and grabbed his hand. He nodded to Justin and they left them alone.

“How are you holding up?” Justin asked him, bringing him into a hug.

Even with all the lies between them he just wanted to be held. “He’s dying.”

“I know. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for you, Debbie and especially Jenny. She just lost the baby, now this. It’s too much.”

“Where is everyone?” Brian asked.

“The waiting room. It was getting too much for Debbie and Hunter, they needed a moment to compose themselves. I was staying with Jenny.”

“I don’t know how to do this. I’ve buried both my parents and Claire. But it’s never hurt like this.”

“Because he was there for you went they weren’t. He is a member of the family you picked.”

“I can’t lose him.”

They sat in silence outside Michael’s room. Soon Debbie and Hunter came back, Hunter told them to go home and get some rest, he would call if Michael took a turn for the worse.

He didn’t want to go but they needed to go home and check on the kids. Justin had come to the hospital hours after he had, so they rode home separate too. He remembered why he was mad at Justin but now it just seemed so trivial.

Justin pulled up right behind him a little after midnight. He’d been gone from the house for a full day.

“Brian, I need to tell you something before we go in.”

“I’m in no mood for whatever you have to say.”

“I didn’t kill Chris, I had nothing to do with it. I had asked Cody when I didn’t know what I was saying, but he was locked up when Chris was killed. Craig killed Chris.”

That stopped him where he stood. “Craig? As in Craig Taylor?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I think he just finally had enough, I hadn’t talked to him. We both know he’s capable of killing someone. Now his mind is going, he I guess watched the news talking about Reece being hurt. It was kind of too much for him. At least that’s what Molly says. She’s been in contact with him, she said he was getting worse and all week was spouting off things like Chris needed to die.”

“And she didn’t call the police?”

“No, she didn’t think he would act on it.”

“When did you find this out?”

“Found out he killed Chris yesterday, a cop told me. Today I’ve been talking to Molly on the phone.”

“Jesus Christ,” Brian muttered.

“Yeah. Do you still hate me?”

“Fuck, Sunshine, I could never hate you. Pissed beyond belief yes but never hate. Come on. Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow won’t be any better.”

But it was. The call came in around six the next morning. The doctors were able to remove Michael’s breathing tube. The doctors were very wary but they were able to give them a glimmer of hope.

Justin stayed home while Brian rushed back to the hospital. All the bigger kids left, just leaving him and Avery. It happened a lot of time. He wondered how he would do when Avery didn’t want to stay with dad anymore. He was a daddy’s boy that was sure. Justin just knew that empty nest syndrome would either be the best or worst thing in the world.

Just after lunch someone knocked on his door. He was shocked to see it was the cop. Officer Mallard.

“What are you doing here?” he asked bluntly.

“I’ve come to talk more about Cody.”

“You can’t come to my home,” he said, feeling anger building up.

“I remember you, you touched my daddy’s bottom. You weren’t supposed to do that,” Avery said from behind Justin.

“Avery, that was an accident. Why don’t you go to your room and play?”

“I think I’ll stay here,” he said, eyeing the cop suspiciously.

“Okay, let me try this again. Go upstairs and play.”

“Grr…” Avery stomped up the stairs grumbling every few feet.

“Cute kid,” Officer Mallard said.

“You might as well come in.”

He led the man into the kitchen, it was the most sterile room in his house. The man being in his house without Brian knowing put him on edge.

“Do you want something to drink?”

“Water, thank you.”

Justin pulled out a bottle of water and gave him a glass. His hand shaking a little as he held them out to him.

“So, what do you want?” he asked.

“You know what I want. I want you to wear a wire and get Cody confessing to the murders. You have a history with him, the other men he conned didn’t. He wouldn’t be suspicious if you want to hang out.”

“I need to talk to my husband about this,” he said firmly.

“I understand, but I need an answer by tomorrow. That’s when he’s getting out, we’re worried he’ll hear about us being on him then he’ll be in the wind.” He handled Justin a card with his name on it.

After he left, Justin had a mad as hell little boy to make up with. He could hear things being slammed around in Avery’s room. He had his father’s temper that was for sure. Opening the door, Justin saw he was ripping pages out of the sketch pad Justin had given him for Christmas.

“Why are you ripping up your art work?” he asked calmly.

“I hate art. I hate that man. And I hate you.” He continued to rip the pages out.

“That’s a lot of hating. Can you tell me why you hate art?”

“Because you like it.” Makes sense.

“Why do you hate Officer Mallard?”

“Because he’s gonna steal you.”

“Steal me? Why do you say that?”

“Tony said when his mom started seeing a man when his dad wasn’t around, he stole her.”

Justin felt bad. Tony, Avery’s little friend’s mother ran off with another man. It nearly broke his dad. The man was doing better but it was a long road for them. Justin sat down on Avery’s bed. “Come here.”

“No. I hate you.”

“I know. But I love you. I will always love you. I’m not going anywhere. I love Pop with all my heart, and could never leave any of you. You’re all my heart.”

“Why is that man here?”

“Well for one, he left. For another, he was asking for my help. I’m going to tell Pop when he comes home. Right now, Uncle Mikey needs him though.”

Just like that the little dam inside his son broke. “I don’t want Uncle Mikey to die.” He leapt into Justin’s arms where he cried.

Avery hadn’t been around when they lost Ben. But he had lost his mother and almost lost Anna. He was very attuned to people’s feelings. He was still little enough to just think Michael is being silly when he slurs while speaking. Michael still brought him comic books when he visited.

“I know, buddy. I don’t want him to die either.”

“Anna said Jenny’s not gonna have a baby anymore. Where’d it go?”

He held him tighter. “The wreck was pretty bad. It caused damage to her stomach, the baby wasn’t able to survive.”

“It died?”

“Yeah, baby, it died.”

“Like my mama died?”

“Yes.” Tears started to spill silently down his own cheeks.

“I wanted to hold the baby,” he said through his sobs.

“I know. We’re going to have to be strong for her. She’ll be sad for a long time, but hopefully with time and love she’ll get better.”

“Is she gonna move back home?” Justin knew he meant if she was going to move back to Pittsburgh, that he didn’t know. He did know her husband had been MIA since before the accident. Bastard.

“I don’t know. Let’s go get cleaned up.” Avery was too young so they couldn’t visit Jenny or Michael. But he could figure something for else for them to do.

“Hunter?”

Jenny was sitting back in her hospital room, once again staring off to nowhere. This time Hunter was sitting with her.

“Yeah?”

“Can you draw up divorce papers for me?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“I can do it. Does that mean you’re moving home?” he asked hopefully.

“No. I want to stay until Dad gets better, I know he will. Then I need to just get away. I’m going to dip into the money Daddy B left me. I think I might travel for a year. I went right from high school to working, I need to get away.”

Hunter understood that, he really did. Jenny felt things so much harder than anyone he had ever met. When she found out about his past, what he was forced into, she cried. And cried. And cried. He thought she would never stop. Now this happening to her, she must be in so much pain. Maybe being young and crazy would help. She had never just been young and crazy. All of Brian and Justin’s kids they’ve been places, either vacationing with them or on their own. His dads didn’t have the money they had, most of Mel’s money went to Lindsay in the divorce.

It was funny, when Lindsay went straight and left Mel she still took her for all she had. Mel was stupid enough not to make her sign a prenup. It sucked that Jenny had to suffer. Ben had Ted start a college fund for her, now the money was hers to use. Thankfully, she couldn’t touch it but Ted could release it. That meant after the divorce so that horrible man could never touch it.

“Are you sure this isn’t just because of the baby?” he had to ask.

“I wanted her so much, I needed her.”

“To hold onto Rodger?”

She laughed bitterly. “No, I just wanted someone to love me.”

“You do, you have so many people who love you. Anna would kill for you, she may still.” In fact, she might have, no one had seen Rodger.

“I need to leave.”

“Alright. Let’s get you out of here, then Michael. Then, I’ll wave goodbye to you at the airport.”

Everything was blurry. He had remembered that he was in a hospital, he knew Jenny was alright. She had come and held his hand for a while.

“You back to the living?” a familiar voice asked.

“I need help,” he said, his voice rough.

“Meaning?” Brian asked.

“I’m ready to get help. Rehab. I could have killed her.”

Brian looked like he wanted to say something but just nodded. He closed his eyes, hopefully he would be out before his grandchild was born.