“Son, wake up,” Dad’s voice drifted through my drugged out consciousness and I opened my eyes. My wrist harnesses had been removed.
“Dad, how’s it going?” I didn’t want to start talking about last night. He didn’t leave me with a choice though.
“Kevin, let me try and explain some logic to you. You killed a man. The police know this. They also know that it was self-defense. This is the reason you were allowed to come here instead of going straight to jail. However, if you continue to show the lack of judgment that you displayed last night, you will lose the privilege of being locked up in here and instead enjoy the comfort of the city jail.” He stared at me. I stared at him. I had no reply, so he continued. “I, more than anybody, want to see you out of here, but that is just not going to happen unless you cooperate. Now, I’m going to ask you one question about last night and I want you to give me a reply that is not only believable, but also true. Why THE HELL did you run?”
“I wanted to find Christian.” I was staring at the floor now, unsure how to handle the situation. Dad’s next question solved my dilemma.
“Well, DID YOU FIND HIM?” Dad was having trouble disguising his disgust with me. I didn’t think he was going to get any happier after he heard my answer.
“Yeah, Dad, I found him.” I don’t lie, but I knew he wouldn’t believe me, so it didn’t matter anyway.
“You found him…” He turned away from me. I waited for the expected outburst. His next question would shock me. “Where was he?”
“What?” I couldn’t believe it. He sincerely believed what I said. I stared at Dad in a way I had never stared before. It was like he was a different person. At the moment I couldn’t pinpoint whether that was good or bad.
“We’ll talk about it later, Kevin. I’ll go see if we can get you out of this room.” And with that he stood up and walked out of the room.
---------------
My head crashed to the bed. What could all of this mean? Why on earth would he believe what I said about Christian? There were just so many questions and too few answers. A man of SANE mind wouldn’t be able to handle this situation, let alone a guy like me who was a pair short of a full house. The possibilities swirled through my head, none of them making sense or even seeming rational. The road I was going down at the moment was a dark one, but there was a light at the end, and right now the only guide I had to get there was him.
Who?
You.
---------------
Dad walked back in to the room, followed by a portly woman.
“She’s going to let you out of the restraints. However, you’re going to have to stay in the room for a while and just behave and hang loose. They just want to make sure that you’re going to cooperate. Can you handle that, son?” He looked at me as if I had no choice, and he was right.
“Yeah, dad, I can swing it.” I stood up from the bed and stretched for a minute. The blood rushed back in to my appendages like water to starving branches. “Is it okay if I change my clothes? I could also use a trip to the bathroom.”
“Sure, Kev. I left some clothes with the staff, and I’m sure Miss….:”
“Wagner,” she replied.
“…Wagner, can set you up with a urination location.”
“Humor, that’s good. I’m glad you’re able to see the positive side of all of this.”
“Well, son, if you don’t see the positive side, then you see the negative side, and you know what that leads to.” I felt like a kindergartener all over again.
“Yeah, dad, I get you.” I nodded, slightly exacerbated with everything.
“Okay, Kev. You play ball for a while, and I’ll be back to see you in the morning.” Dad started to walk out the door.
“Play ball?”
Play ball?
“Yeah, cooperate.” And he was gone.
“Dad, how’s it going?” I didn’t want to start talking about last night. He didn’t leave me with a choice though.
“Kevin, let me try and explain some logic to you. You killed a man. The police know this. They also know that it was self-defense. This is the reason you were allowed to come here instead of going straight to jail. However, if you continue to show the lack of judgment that you displayed last night, you will lose the privilege of being locked up in here and instead enjoy the comfort of the city jail.” He stared at me. I stared at him. I had no reply, so he continued. “I, more than anybody, want to see you out of here, but that is just not going to happen unless you cooperate. Now, I’m going to ask you one question about last night and I want you to give me a reply that is not only believable, but also true. Why THE HELL did you run?”
“I wanted to find Christian.” I was staring at the floor now, unsure how to handle the situation. Dad’s next question solved my dilemma.
“Well, DID YOU FIND HIM?” Dad was having trouble disguising his disgust with me. I didn’t think he was going to get any happier after he heard my answer.
“Yeah, Dad, I found him.” I don’t lie, but I knew he wouldn’t believe me, so it didn’t matter anyway.
“You found him…” He turned away from me. I waited for the expected outburst. His next question would shock me. “Where was he?”
“What?” I couldn’t believe it. He sincerely believed what I said. I stared at Dad in a way I had never stared before. It was like he was a different person. At the moment I couldn’t pinpoint whether that was good or bad.
“We’ll talk about it later, Kevin. I’ll go see if we can get you out of this room.” And with that he stood up and walked out of the room.
---------------
My head crashed to the bed. What could all of this mean? Why on earth would he believe what I said about Christian? There were just so many questions and too few answers. A man of SANE mind wouldn’t be able to handle this situation, let alone a guy like me who was a pair short of a full house. The possibilities swirled through my head, none of them making sense or even seeming rational. The road I was going down at the moment was a dark one, but there was a light at the end, and right now the only guide I had to get there was him.
Who?
You.
---------------
Dad walked back in to the room, followed by a portly woman.
“She’s going to let you out of the restraints. However, you’re going to have to stay in the room for a while and just behave and hang loose. They just want to make sure that you’re going to cooperate. Can you handle that, son?” He looked at me as if I had no choice, and he was right.
“Yeah, dad, I can swing it.” I stood up from the bed and stretched for a minute. The blood rushed back in to my appendages like water to starving branches. “Is it okay if I change my clothes? I could also use a trip to the bathroom.”
“Sure, Kev. I left some clothes with the staff, and I’m sure Miss….:”
“Wagner,” she replied.
“…Wagner, can set you up with a urination location.”
“Humor, that’s good. I’m glad you’re able to see the positive side of all of this.”
“Well, son, if you don’t see the positive side, then you see the negative side, and you know what that leads to.” I felt like a kindergartener all over again.
“Yeah, dad, I get you.” I nodded, slightly exacerbated with everything.
“Okay, Kev. You play ball for a while, and I’ll be back to see you in the morning.” Dad started to walk out the door.
“Play ball?”
Play ball?
“Yeah, cooperate.” And he was gone.