What a father should be, chapter 23
Meanwhile back in the hospital room, Adrian and Zach threw a ball casually against the wall, the dog running after it and lolling it around in its drooling jaws. Zach watched with placid eyes, as did Adrian.
"I used to have a dog." Adrian said, as Zach turned to look at him with tired eyes. Zach smiled.
"Me too. His name was Lockie, but my dad took him away from me. I don't know where he took him and that scares me that I don't know. He was my best friend ever... but then he kept attacking my dad when he hit me, so my dad grabbed him and threw him into the boot of the car and drove away. I dunno where Lockie went but I know he didn't come back. I begged my dad to tell me where he'd gone but he refused." Zach said, remembering back with sadness. Adrian nodded.
"Did you have a dog?" Zach asked, as Adrian kept his stare blank.
"Yeah. Rookie." Adrian said, still looking deeply at the other dog, who now had its head down and was peering at Adrian and Zach's toes with sadness.
"What happened?" Zach said quietly, looking sympathetically at Adrian. Adrian shook his head. He didn't know if he should tell someone so young...
Adrian sat on his uncles couch, watching TV. Rookie lay at his side, head on the cushions and looking sad. It was amazing how much dogs were able to sense. Rookie knew this place was a bad place, even though it was his first time being there. Adrian stroked Rookie's back comfortingly, knowing his dog was almost as scared as he was. It felt so good to not be alone.
Suddenly his uncle came bursting into the room, furious. He was always furious about something. Adrian ran to the door, hoping to get away. Rookie leapt off the couch and ran after Adrian, as he pulled at the sliding door. Too late. His uncle grabbed him and smacked him across the face, sending Adrian falling into the kitchen bench and hitting his head. He slumped to the floor as Rookie started barking loudly, growling and snapping at his uncle. His uncle kicked Rookie out of the way, picking up Adrian and punching him in the stomach. Rookie bit Adrian's uncle's ankle, causing him to drop Adrian roughly to the floor and yell. Furious, his uncle booted Rookie has hard as he could in the dog's ribs. Rookie yelped and tumbled into the wall. Adrian's head span as it hit the tile floor. He could see a scuffle and hear Rookie's high pitched yelping stabbing his ears, and started to panic.
Adrian ran at his uncle, jumping on his back.
"No! No leave him alone! He's just a dog!" Adrian cried desperately, his uncle becoming infuriated. With unimaginable force, his uncle grabbed Adrian off his back and threw him across the kitchen bench and clean onto the floor, where Adrian felt his ribs crunch. Adrian screamed and held his ribs, recoiling his hands in pain. Listening for a while, he tried to pull himself up as he listened to his uncle's screaming as well as his dogs yelping and whining.
"STOP! PLEASE STOP! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Adrian yelled through tears, pulling himself up and moving slowly over to his dog. His uncle backed off, kicking the furniture psychotically and overturning tables while screaming curses. Adrian sobbed quietly over Rookie, whose eyes were half closed and was breathing sharply, now completely still.
"Leave him alone... " Adrian whispered, crying as he felt his uncle's shadow over him as he stroked his dog's head.
"Please call a vet please... we could save him... " Adrian whispered, holding his ribs with one hand and stroking his dog with the other. His uncle still showed no sign of compassion as he watched the dog's dying face.
"Adrian you get up now. NOW!" his uncle yelled, but Adrian stayed kneeling beside his best friend.
"NO! CALL A VET! CALL A VET! PLEASE CALL A VET PLEASE YOU DON'T LET HIM DIE! YOU'LL KILL HIM! YOU'LL KILL HIM!!!" Adrian screamed hysterically, sobbing and clutching his dog's fur. His face was pained and broken as his uncle dragged him over to the kitchen, pouring his ready bottle of chloroform into a dishcloth and holding it up to Adrian's gasping mouth.
Adrian felt the drugs taking over him and he collapsed in his uncle's grip, later to wake up and find his ribs bandaged tightly, but still hurting. He immediately jumped out of bed as best he could, and staggered downstairs to find his uncles face peering up at him from the table.
"Where's Rookie?" Adrian asked nervously. His uncle put down his cup of tea which Adrian knew had alcohol in it and looked bluntly at Adrian's worried face.
"I buried him out back. We will tell your mother he ran away. If you tell her what went on today, you can have fucking grave next to your shitty mongrel of a dog. Hear me? I had no trouble killing him so I'll have no trouble killing you."
Adrian's knees gave way and he felt his body slam into the stair beneath him. Completely shattered, Adrian burst into tears and held himself, rocking back and forth on his stair and sobbing miserably. He was hurt beyond what he could have ever imagined. Shock started to set in and his head spun with unimaginable speed. His uncle walked out of the house, lighting a cigarette and leaving Adrian to cry alone on the stairs.
Zach's eyes were filled with darkness as he took it in. At least he didn't have to watch what his father had done to Lockie. Adrian sniffed, wiping his nose. Zach shook his head.
"I hate your uncle. I hate my father. I hate Brad. I hate all of them. I hope they suffer. Really fucking suffer." Zach hissed, blinking away angry tears. Adrian wrapped his arms comfortingly around Zach's waist, pulling him into a hug and grabbing the remote with his spare hand as they both lay back on the pillow.
"South park... you like it?" Adrian asked, feeling Zach place his head on his shoulder. Adrian smiled. He would have loved to have a younger brother. Zach nodded.
"Yeah its funny. But I've heard that the person who voiced Chef quit cos they made fun of his religion. That's what Billie told me when we were watching it once."
"So that's why he's not around anymore... " Adrian said, thinking.
"He's a scienceman." Zach replied casually.
"A scientologist?" Adrian said, trying not to laugh.
"Yeah that. And they made fun of it so he quit. Billie said science people were crazy. Like the man who stood on the couch and yelled about his wife? He's crazy!" Zach said with seriousness.
"Tom Cruise?" sniggered Adrian.
"Billie met him he said his eye's twitch and his smile looks like an evil clown." He stated, making Adrian laugh. Things seemed okay, if only for that moment.
As Billie Joe walked up the stairwell to tell Zach he had won custody, he passed a man and a woman who were actually on their way to see Adrian. To apologise for leaving him with a man who had ruined his life.
"I used to have a dog." Adrian said, as Zach turned to look at him with tired eyes. Zach smiled.
"Me too. His name was Lockie, but my dad took him away from me. I don't know where he took him and that scares me that I don't know. He was my best friend ever... but then he kept attacking my dad when he hit me, so my dad grabbed him and threw him into the boot of the car and drove away. I dunno where Lockie went but I know he didn't come back. I begged my dad to tell me where he'd gone but he refused." Zach said, remembering back with sadness. Adrian nodded.
"Did you have a dog?" Zach asked, as Adrian kept his stare blank.
"Yeah. Rookie." Adrian said, still looking deeply at the other dog, who now had its head down and was peering at Adrian and Zach's toes with sadness.
"What happened?" Zach said quietly, looking sympathetically at Adrian. Adrian shook his head. He didn't know if he should tell someone so young...
Adrian sat on his uncles couch, watching TV. Rookie lay at his side, head on the cushions and looking sad. It was amazing how much dogs were able to sense. Rookie knew this place was a bad place, even though it was his first time being there. Adrian stroked Rookie's back comfortingly, knowing his dog was almost as scared as he was. It felt so good to not be alone.
Suddenly his uncle came bursting into the room, furious. He was always furious about something. Adrian ran to the door, hoping to get away. Rookie leapt off the couch and ran after Adrian, as he pulled at the sliding door. Too late. His uncle grabbed him and smacked him across the face, sending Adrian falling into the kitchen bench and hitting his head. He slumped to the floor as Rookie started barking loudly, growling and snapping at his uncle. His uncle kicked Rookie out of the way, picking up Adrian and punching him in the stomach. Rookie bit Adrian's uncle's ankle, causing him to drop Adrian roughly to the floor and yell. Furious, his uncle booted Rookie has hard as he could in the dog's ribs. Rookie yelped and tumbled into the wall. Adrian's head span as it hit the tile floor. He could see a scuffle and hear Rookie's high pitched yelping stabbing his ears, and started to panic.
Adrian ran at his uncle, jumping on his back.
"No! No leave him alone! He's just a dog!" Adrian cried desperately, his uncle becoming infuriated. With unimaginable force, his uncle grabbed Adrian off his back and threw him across the kitchen bench and clean onto the floor, where Adrian felt his ribs crunch. Adrian screamed and held his ribs, recoiling his hands in pain. Listening for a while, he tried to pull himself up as he listened to his uncle's screaming as well as his dogs yelping and whining.
"STOP! PLEASE STOP! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Adrian yelled through tears, pulling himself up and moving slowly over to his dog. His uncle backed off, kicking the furniture psychotically and overturning tables while screaming curses. Adrian sobbed quietly over Rookie, whose eyes were half closed and was breathing sharply, now completely still.
"Leave him alone... " Adrian whispered, crying as he felt his uncle's shadow over him as he stroked his dog's head.
"Please call a vet please... we could save him... " Adrian whispered, holding his ribs with one hand and stroking his dog with the other. His uncle still showed no sign of compassion as he watched the dog's dying face.
"Adrian you get up now. NOW!" his uncle yelled, but Adrian stayed kneeling beside his best friend.
"NO! CALL A VET! CALL A VET! PLEASE CALL A VET PLEASE YOU DON'T LET HIM DIE! YOU'LL KILL HIM! YOU'LL KILL HIM!!!" Adrian screamed hysterically, sobbing and clutching his dog's fur. His face was pained and broken as his uncle dragged him over to the kitchen, pouring his ready bottle of chloroform into a dishcloth and holding it up to Adrian's gasping mouth.
Adrian felt the drugs taking over him and he collapsed in his uncle's grip, later to wake up and find his ribs bandaged tightly, but still hurting. He immediately jumped out of bed as best he could, and staggered downstairs to find his uncles face peering up at him from the table.
"Where's Rookie?" Adrian asked nervously. His uncle put down his cup of tea which Adrian knew had alcohol in it and looked bluntly at Adrian's worried face.
"I buried him out back. We will tell your mother he ran away. If you tell her what went on today, you can have fucking grave next to your shitty mongrel of a dog. Hear me? I had no trouble killing him so I'll have no trouble killing you."
Adrian's knees gave way and he felt his body slam into the stair beneath him. Completely shattered, Adrian burst into tears and held himself, rocking back and forth on his stair and sobbing miserably. He was hurt beyond what he could have ever imagined. Shock started to set in and his head spun with unimaginable speed. His uncle walked out of the house, lighting a cigarette and leaving Adrian to cry alone on the stairs.
Zach's eyes were filled with darkness as he took it in. At least he didn't have to watch what his father had done to Lockie. Adrian sniffed, wiping his nose. Zach shook his head.
"I hate your uncle. I hate my father. I hate Brad. I hate all of them. I hope they suffer. Really fucking suffer." Zach hissed, blinking away angry tears. Adrian wrapped his arms comfortingly around Zach's waist, pulling him into a hug and grabbing the remote with his spare hand as they both lay back on the pillow.
"South park... you like it?" Adrian asked, feeling Zach place his head on his shoulder. Adrian smiled. He would have loved to have a younger brother. Zach nodded.
"Yeah its funny. But I've heard that the person who voiced Chef quit cos they made fun of his religion. That's what Billie told me when we were watching it once."
"So that's why he's not around anymore... " Adrian said, thinking.
"He's a scienceman." Zach replied casually.
"A scientologist?" Adrian said, trying not to laugh.
"Yeah that. And they made fun of it so he quit. Billie said science people were crazy. Like the man who stood on the couch and yelled about his wife? He's crazy!" Zach said with seriousness.
"Tom Cruise?" sniggered Adrian.
"Billie met him he said his eye's twitch and his smile looks like an evil clown." He stated, making Adrian laugh. Things seemed okay, if only for that moment.
As Billie Joe walked up the stairwell to tell Zach he had won custody, he passed a man and a woman who were actually on their way to see Adrian. To apologise for leaving him with a man who had ruined his life.
