His Return

1. Troubled Teens and Twin Telepathy

"It was an accident mama I swear!"

"I know, Timothy." The exhausted, single mother of two boys sighs. "But you have to be more careful."

"Timothy, what exactly happened?" I ask, sanitizing my hands before putting gloves on.

"Okay." The sandy-haired ten year old stares intently at me. "I had a toy car.."

"Mhm.. little pinch." I mumble, bringing the small needle to the skin of Timothy's seven year old brother.

"And I was pretending it was a rocket." Timothy continues his story, wide-eyed and breathless."So I was holding it out and spinning really, really fast and..."

"And he hit his brother in the face..." Natalie massages her temple. "What am I supposed to do about it?" She asks me, her eyes pleading for advice. "On one hand I can't punish him because it was just an accident; but on the other, they're gonna take my boys away if I keep coming in here with them."

"Nat, you're doing great. Your boys are just being boys. Remind them to be careful, that's the best you can do."

"Kate," Nurse Mary calls me. Pulling back the curtain, as I steadily stitch the cut on young Thomas' brow. "The school is on the line, they say it's urgent."

'Not today...' I silently cry.

"I can finish that for you."

"Thank you, Mary." I turn to Natalie as I remove my gloves. "I'll be right back."

Making my way through the busy ER, I think of what my son could have done now.

'What if...'

My reluctant steps turn to brisk, frantic ones.
I'm given many sympathetic looks as I approach the reception desk.

Connie's face is the most sympathetic as she hands me the phone.

"This is Katherine." I mumble, sighing when I hear Mikey's voice in the background.

"Ah, Katherine, this is Principal Zimmerman." I can practically picture his signature flat look.
He terrifies me and I'm not even a student.

"Y-yes, hi."

"Katherine, I've called to inform you but I have Michael in my office and I'm sorry to say that he's been suspended."

I can't stop my groan. "He's been what?"

"For fighting." The principal He needs to be picked up and is suspended for the rest of the week."

"The rest of the week?" I sigh. "It's Monday." I going to kill my son.

The phone line stays silent.

"Alright, may I speak to him please?"

If the ER wasn't currently bustling, I'd be losing my shit.

Fighting.

I've tried to raise him better, I've tried so hard. And I thought I was doing at least decent... until he proved me wrong last year.

When I hear my teenagers signature sigh on the other end of the line, I grit my teeth.
"I can't leave the ER now so call Sam to come pick you up and be prepared for a long discussion when I get home."

"Great." His sarcasm burns my ears.

"I want your phone and Xbox in my room as well."

"K." Is his only response before I hear the phone click.

"It's hard to be a teenager, especially without a father." Connie gives me a sad smile as she takes the phone from my hand. "Do be too hard on him."