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“Oh, no, honey. There’s no reason for you to come all the time. You live your life. When I hear something, I promise to call you.”

“It’s really no problem, I can even bring you coffee,” he pushed.

“It’s okay, sweetie.” John could hear her smile through the phone. “Just stay home. I‘ll call you when I hear more.”

“I want to be there,” he pushed.

“John, Jace needs his rest. Too much activity can prolong his progress. Stay home, okay?”

He sighed tiredly. “Okay.”

“And John?”

He gripped the phone tighter. “Yeah?”

“Talk to your parents—they’re concerned about you.”

John sighed loudly. “I will.”

“Starting now sounds like a good idea to me.”

John chuckled sadly. “Alright.”

“Talk soon.”

“Bye.” John hung up and tossed his phone on the bed. Rubbing a hand down his face, he was exhausted. He was torn and confused, unsure of so much in his life right now. He grabbed the first shirt he spotted and threw it on then headed down the stairs to talk with his father.

“Son, I wish you would’ve come to me sooner.” Clark said as John finished telling him about the night of the accident.

“I know, dad. I’m sorry I worried you and mom. I just wasn’t ready to talk about it.”

“Understandable, but you need to know that we’re always here for you whenever you need something.”

John nodded his head. He did know that.

“Your mother has been with Maryanne for the last few days, you know.”

He perked up. “She has?”

“She has, so I’ve been getting updates through her since you’ve been MIA.”

“I told Maryanne I would come, but she told me not to. I don’t know what to do…”

“Not trying to change the subject, but now that school is out for the summer maybe you should consider speaking with a recruiter from the Marines again. You know your scores came in, right?”

John shook his head. “I had no idea.” He thought about how messed up his life was at the moment and joining the Marines at the same time. “I will, but not while Jace is hanging on by a thread. Too much is up in the air right now.”

Clark clasped his hands together. “Why not give it a little more thought instead of drinking the day away, which we need to talk about.” He pointed a finger at John. “That shit needs to stop.”

John nodded in agreement. He didn’t like who he was becoming.

“I think you would enjoy serving more than you think. It’s not easy; they’ll tear you down mentally and build you back up. Maybe it’s what you need,” Clark insinuated with a tilt of his head.

“I will, just not yet, dad. I’m not ready. Maybe I will … Oh, I don’t know …” he shook his head.

Clark stood and gripped John’s shoulder. “You’ll figure it out. I have faith.”

John sped over to Memorial Hospital. After two painfully long weeks, he finally got the call he’d been waiting for. Maryanne didn’t say much, only that he should come to the hospital.