LIW&B Chapter 15 (continued)

Mel spared the details when his son came back inside. He had a final parental mission to find care for his boy after he was gone. He would sooner give him a bag of money and tell him to put up his thumb than to send him back to being a ward of the state. He made a phone call from his deathbed and hoped it would be the answer he needed.

Then the dying man spent time with his son. They talked about their time apart but mostly of their time together. Happy told Mel about his required therapy sessions three times a week and how the counselors always tried to make Mel sound so abusive. They seemed to care about him but they wouldn't listen to what he had to say. He told Mel about Counselor Rob and that he was the only one from whom Happy sensed any real love.

Happy told his father that for all the education, counseling, and supervision the center provides, the missing piece was any genuine love. Happy felt more love in the garbage truck with his memories than he received in eight months of state care. Mel thought it better to change the subject. His time was too short for regret.

Then Happy laughed at some of his father's old stories and longed for some of his pancakes. Mel told him about some of the truck drivers and his cats, anything light, anything pleasant. There were a lot of bad memories to leave behind, dark thoughts that Mel didn't want to admit.

The old man remained staggered that Happy arrived in the trailer when he did. Even on his deathbed, he refused any gratitude to any benevolent spirits or force. If he was to credit such an omnipresent force with his son's return he also had to blame it for his son's departure. Mel chose to ignore such discussion altogether and stick with the perspective through which he was trained to see. The cranky bastard let himself turn soft and ignore his bitter edge. He wanted to leave his boy with better memories than that. He firmly believed he had less than a week and he had been right about everything so far.

Mel kept his fear quiet and in the back of his mind. This fear was the arrival of child welfare agents tracking them down and stealing the boy like pirates. He didn't have much time left and now he had taken the risk of planning it out with his son. He told Happy he would fight them but he had no such strength. All his powers boiled down to a loud cuss and a cough. Mel would be more defenseless than he was the first time if the state decided to hunt them down. Mel understood their only hope to be his voicemail to an unanswered phone call. He listened to Happy talk and refused to acknowledge the panic.

A voice filled the room, more ancient and accusing than his own. His phone call answered, his fear subsided. Mel sat up in bed and braced himself for battle. Happy stopped talking and followed his father's stare to the door.

"Why in god's name would Mel Stotch be callin' me from a hospital?" Rosa crowed. A nurse stood behind her pushing her wheel chair. The nurse smiled politely in spite of the hoary shrew. "I couldn't believe it that you of anyone was in the hospital. I figured ya died years ago and I missed it in the paper." Her scowl was permanent and intended no harm.

"Come in, Rosa," Mel beckoned. "I'm glad you came. And I'm glad you're still alive too."

All right, pizza has been ordered. This will chapter will finish tomorrow, possible the entire story.