Page 160 of Silent Damage

“I fucking knew it, but nobody listened to me. Nobody listened,” he bellows, pacing back and forth with his arms flailing about.

This is exactly what the Doctor said we shouldn't be doing around Jason, and I’ll be damned if I let this happen, so I stand up and say, “Shut your mouth.”

Doug freezes, his eyes widening with disbelief. “What?” he says with exasperation.

“The doctor told me the next forty-eight hours are crucial. They told me to talk to Jason as much as possible, and the last thing we should be doing is freaking out like this. Jason—”

I almost say Jason might be able to hear us, but I can’t think that way.

“Jason can hear us. We need to be comforting, so calm down.”

“Are you serious?” He steps closer. “You’re actually telling me how I should be reacting to this?”

I close the distance between us, get right in his face, and speak with a low, deliberate voice.

“Look at me, Doug. Do I look serious?”

It’s a standoff between two men: one who wants to play the role of protective father and another who is actually protecting the man he loves.

Doug’s chest heaves as he stares at me. “He’s my son.”

“So, act like his father.”

He gasps.

For a moment, I’m afraid he’ll lose it again. Maybe even punch me…

Then, a tear falls. He tries to wipe it away, but the tears keep coming. “What did they say?” he asks in a shaky voice.

I take a deep breath. “He was shot, and the van crashed. The bullet wound isn’t as bad as the brain swelling. They have him sedated while they monitor him. It's too early to know how bad the damage is.”

Doug slowly closes his eyes. He brings his fist to his mouth, like he’s trying to suppress a sob or a scream.

“Sit,” I tell him.

His gaze lands on Jason. The weight of it all takes over, and he practically falls into the chair. His body slumps forward in defeat, and he reaches to touch Jason, then stops.

“Can I touch him?” he asks.

“Very gently,” I reply.

When Doug rests his hand on Jason’s, the sob he’s been holding escapes.

With his head in his hand and the other clutching his son, Doug weeps. “I’m so sorry,” he gasps through the tears. “I’m so sorry.”

“He’s going to wake up,” I say.

Doug looks at me with hope. “Did the doct—”

“No. I say it. He’s going to wake up, and when he does, you have to do better. Do you understand me?”

Doug looks at me with an agonized expression.

“Do you understand?” I ask again.

He nods.

“Doug, I’m in love with Jason, and that means I’ll do whatever is necessary to protect him. You won’t hurt him ever again. Not physically. Not emotionally. Nothing. You will be the dad you should have been all along, or you’re not seeing him anymore.”