What Goes Around...

Part Sixteen

A/N Thanks so much for all the comments and reads, and thanks to Kaisha for yet another amazing cover! :)

Chapter Sixteen

Coop's legs were barely functioning. His knees were weak as he walked from the hospital entrance and in the directions that the signs indicated, to the ICU. He'd not had a chance to look around to see the so familiar places pass by the taxi window either on the way to the hotel, or the hospital. His mind was racing and his thoughts were on the people waiting along the corridor. His father and his mother.

Then he saw her, the usually immaculate banker's wife, always vibrant and full of life, his mother looked pale, defeated almost.

His eyes studied her as she sat head bowed, shoulders shaking. She was crying, and it hurt him, caused a lance of pain to his chest. Then she looked up, she must have heard him approach.

                "Oh Coop." She jumped to her feet and rushed to him. He opened his arms and held her in a hug. He didn't know how he felt about this, about her, about his father, but at that moment he was stronger than her, his instinct was to take the strain from her.

                "How is he?" he asked when her body stopped shaking.

She lifted her head, "they have to operate again...I don't really understand everything...but he's going to theatre any minute."

He took a deep steadying breath, "can I see him now?"

                "If you want to. He'll like that. He mentions you, all the time."

That was doubtful; his father was the most stubborn man he knew. But he'd got this far, he couldn't start to doubt his actions now. He'd never forget what happened, but he was here to forgive his father. He'd realised that when he was in the sky somewhere over New Brunswick. He needed to see him, make his own peace. Then he could walk away, get on with his life.

The hulk of a man who had both terrified and protected to him was a shadow of the man of his memories. Monitors bleeped, wires seemed to be attached to every part of his skin, and a tube into his mouth helped him breathe. As he got closer, he could see his father's eyes flicker. A nurse walked towards him.

                "You must be Mike's son?"

He gave a mute nod, "he is awake, not perfectly, but he'll hear you."

                "Dad?" his voice was a croak and he hated his own weakness. "You're worrying Mom." The eyes opened for a second and he knew that his father was trying to focus on him. "Get well, yeah? Then we'll talk...like we should have a long time ago." He reached out to touch his father's hand and his fingers instantly curled around Coop's. It made the breath hitch in his throat.

A nurse appeared and it cut the sudden tension.

                "We're taking him to theatre now. He'll be several hours."

Coop nodded, "thanks for letting me see him."

In the waiting room, his mother was looking a little more like herself, "they're taking him down now." He offered when she walked up to him.

                "Thanks for coming. It'll mean the world to him."

Coop still doubted that and his look relayed that to his mother. She stammered a little, "he'll get through this, then we can sort things. Yes? I've missed you SO much."

He'd waited years to hear emotion from his parents, but it had taken this, this near death condition of his father for them to initiate contact. He was no better, he was aware of that. But he was the child here; they were supposed to love him unconditionally.