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It was a dark and gloomy morning after sunrise. Toby walked down the side of the road just inside the trees. How had everything gone so wrong he thought? Looking down at his watch he noted just three more days to Christmas. A time when family and friends gather to show each other how much they love one another. Oh, how things had changed he thought. Looking back, he remembered just a few days prior.
"Toby, I still don't have your Christmas list yet?" said his mother with a smile. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn't have a single thing for him on his list.
"No, Momma." Toby, said walking up and giving his mother a hug. "I really just want to have everyone together, and possibly invite Matt over for the holidays?"
Smiling, Jules just looked over at her son smiling, "That's fine honey, just make sure he knows him, and his family are invited."
"Are you having fun, Matt?" Thomas asked gently to the timid young man.
Shaking like a leaf Matt looked up to Thomas slowly, "Ye Yes Sir, the party is nice".
Remembering his height, Thomas kneeled his seven-foot frame down to lessen the fear factor for Matt. "Don't worry Matt nothing bad will happen while your here."
Like a silent cue had been set, the living room door exploded off its hinges. Fragments of door peppering furniture and people.
"Matt, go find Toby and Jules and hide", Thomas said while pointing to the kitchen door behind him.
Thomas was shocked as Matt, gave him a small hug and disappeared through the door.
When the dust settled at the front door. A strange and creepy looking man walked in to survey his damage done by the explosives he used on the door. "I never was one to be invited to a party by traditions." The man said while walking over the body in front of the door. "Well, one less party goer. My name is Jake, you don't know me, but you know my child. I know he is here. Bring him to me and no one else will die, well then again maybe they won't." Jake said in a sinister voice. Looking at the devastation created he simply laughed.
"Excuse me, Jake. But could you please tell me what's going on?" Thomas said to this person who had been uninvited and crashed the party.
"I guess you didn't listen" Jake almost snarled out as he pulled a dagger from behind his back and threw it at this person...
Toby's distant wanderings were disturbed by the sound of an approaching car horn and the hard hit he received as the car slid into him.
"What the hell" Isaac said a loud as he stomped the brakes hoping to stop. "Oh, Shit"
The car stopped but not before it hit this boy who just walked out into the road. Once the car stopped Isaac hoped out to check the vitals of the boy laying in the road. Checking for a pulse he found one, it was faint. Thinking quickly, he set the car's flashers, called 911 and grabbed a blanket out of the trunk to keep the boy warm. Thinking to himself he wondered why this child was out without a coat, and why he looked like he had been on the run. No matter he would see to this child. The phone stopped ringing. "Hello, my name is Isaac, I was traveling down Old Hwy 28 and a child walked out in front of me. I need an ambulance; His pulse is low. He looks like he has been outside for a while. He might have slight hypothermia. I have a blanket on him to keep him warm. The last intersection I passed was Station Rd and Old 28 driving southbound." Isaac blurted out while staring at this poor boy. "You will have someone here in ten minutes," Isaac repeated to the boy.
Becca was driving home from a long shift but still had her radio on when dispatch announced, "Unit 110 to Old 28 just south of Station Rd, Child was struck by car" Becca, without a single thought whipped a U-turn on Station street.
As she arrived on the scene. She took notice of how it seemed the motorist was trying to keep a vigil over this boy. He was crying and asking over and over, Why?
"Sir, how is he?" Becca asked gently noticing they might need to consider calling someone for him.
"He is breathing ragged, he has a pulse it is falling slowly. He is cold. I haven't moved him for fear of injuries." Isaac rattled off as tears rolled down his cheeks. "He walked out from there" Isaac pointed with his hand. "He didn't even look, it was like he was reliving something." Shaking the young man looked at Becca "Why? Why is he out here with no coat? Why is he alone? Why didn't he look before crossing? Why couldn't I stop quicker? Why??" with his last why he passed out cold.
Becca went and checked him out. His heart was hammering in his chest. Picking up her microphone "Dispatch, send a second unit to Hwy 28 Accident the driver just collapsed. His pulse is hammering."
Looking down at the two she hoped they both would be alright. She recognized Isaac from a few years back. The Chandrian PD, had rolled in on a drug bust and found this young man tied up in the back of the house, his house. His family tortured this poor kid for years and no one knew. She heard the sirens approaching and pulled her phone out and called the towing company. Could have this guy's car getting stripped out here.
Becca found herself unable to leave the hospital. She decided to wait for word on both of the guys to see if she could help.
"Becca, Dr. Milton wants to speak to you in his office." Nurse Molly, said smiling at Becca.
"Becca, the young man will be fine we gave him a sedative to calm him down. The young boy only has a bruise from the car hitting him. However, he is very malnourished. Would you believe he is the boy who has been missing from Danteville? "Dr. Milton gently told her.
"Dr. Milton, did you say Danteville?" Becca winced she knew of the case.
"Yes, he is from the tragedy from a week ago. His parents are gone, and so is everyone from the party" Said, Dr. Milton, while giving Becca a gentle hug. "Then we have Isaac, I know you remember his story since you are the one who responded to the scene."
"Do you think either one of them will be alright?" She said near tears.
"Don't try to move too much," Becca said looking at the boy in the bed. "So how much do you remember?"
"I was walking trying to clear my head" Suddenly he ducked his head, then looked straight at her with tears in his eyes, "Matt, is he alright?"
"No, honey. He didn't make it" Becca said with tears in her eyes. "He and everyone, but yourself are gone from the party"
"Thank you for telling me, but I already knew. I just needed to hear it." Wiping his eyes "How is the guy who I played bumper cars with doing?"
"They are getting ready to release him, he has been so worried about you." Becca said while she leaned over and started brushing hair out of his face.
"Can I see him?" Toby asked while giving puppy dog eyes to Becca.
"Are you sure, he did hit you with a car?" she asked smiling at him.
"Do you really think he was aiming for me?" Toby asked. "Besides, in a round about way he did get me help."
Becca only covered her forehead, and then spoke. "Alright, let me go find him." She said with a smile then got up to search for Isaac.
Isaac was gathering his things up, why do hospitals think you need to be gowned up to lay down in a bed. He just about had everything up when a knock on his door sounded. Walking to and opening the door, he found he was looking at Becca. "Hi, Becca what brings you by?"
"Guess, you don't remember me finding you at the scene last night?" Becca grinned. "Bumper cars is best played with two cars and no kids."
Throwing his hands in the air Isaac looked at Becca, "I wasn't trying to hit him."
"He wants to see you," Becca said. "He is worried about you."
"What, I am worried about him." Rubbing his temples. "Does he have anywhere to go?"
"Unfortunately, he doesn't." Becca letting the tears flow shook her head. "He is in room E142, go see him and please don't leave before I get there."
Dr. Milton was sitting at his desk having a chat with the local social services representative. "So Jill, what do you recommend?"
"I don't have any placements in mind. I would place him with Isaac, but I don't know how the boy would take having the person who struck him with a car be his guardian." Jill looked at her old friend. "Although, with everything Isaac has been through, I know he could help Toby"
Becca knocked softly on Dr. Milton's Door.
The door opened. "Becca come in." He smiled "What brings you to my office?"
"A boy who is worried about the guy who hit him with a car." Becca smiled, "And a Guy who hit the boy"
"We were just discussing that" Dr. Milton waved his hand over to Jill. "What is your thought?"
Toby's Room
A figure sat on Toby's bed. Talking to him.
"Toby, you will like him, he really is nice," the figure said. "Although, I am willing to bet you both need each other."
"Matt, are you really alright now?" Toby asked his ghostly friend? "Will I see you again?"
"Toby, I am fine so is everyone who was there, and no once I leave this plane you won't see me." Tears began to flow down his face. "I will always be here", Pointing to Toby's heart. "I got to go. He is about to enter the room."
Matt had just finished dissolving as the door opened. "Hello, Toby. How are you today?" Isaac asked looking very shy.
"I'm alright, I just want to go... home..." Toby started sniffling.
"Toby, I would let you go home with me, but I don't know who would allow that after me hitting you with a car." Isaac said while ruffling Toby's hair.
"Really, that would be awesome," Toby said while noticing the three-people staining in his open door.
"Really, I am approved for temporary guardianship in emergency cases." Isaac said then noticed Toby smiling and looking toward the door.
Dr. Milton spoke and nearly shocked the hell out of Isaac, "Well now that would prove helpful, in this case!"
"I have no problem with it as long as there are no repeat incidents with the car?" Jill announced.
"Becca, what the heck?" Isaac asked in shock?
"Well, it looks like everyone was thinking the same thing." Becca smiled.
"Good morning Toby, are you ready to go home?" Isaac asked with a broad grin on his face.
"Yes, although. I just realized its Christmas and I didn't get you a gift?" Toby looked down at his lap.
"Gift, look we are going home, my home is now your home. If you're truly worried about a gift, we will go shopping after Christmas." Isaac stated firmly.
"Now let's go home" Toby squealed.
In this time of gift giving maybe it's time to see there is more Christmas than just giving gifts. The best gift can be given from the heart. Be true to yourself and others. Find and Give Love freely to those in need. No matter what religion, creed, color, orientation, nationality remember we are all here in this weird crazy world together.
P.S., I know this is a cliffhanger and I am going to be on the run from the Cliffhanger Police for a while. But, alas my free time is short, and this had to be written. Couldn't sleep.