chapter 3

It was past eight PM and Rumble had not stirred awake, so the couple decided to eat without

him. They were just starting to eat, when their sun stumbled out of the room, while having a mush mouth.

He was sitting at the table, as he struggled to make a bowl of chilli. He finally got it together and ate an entire serving bowl of chilli as if was nothing.

Then something terrible happened.

Rumble passed out unto the dinning room floor.

Anna screamed out bloody terror, as James rushed over to their son.

James and Anna check his vital signs, and he was struggling to breath normally.

The mother called 911 and told where they lived.

"I can't get my son to respond and his breathing is very poor. He has been in pain all day, along looking pale all day. My husband is trying to treat him the best he can, but get here quick!"

The 911 operator spoke,"Keep on the line and stay calm so that you don't need care as well. An ambulance is on the way and will be there in less than five minutes. Wait at the front door to make sure that they get to the right house. This will make them get to your son quicker."

It was the longest five minutes of their lives, while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

The EMTs rushed through the front door and into the dinning room. The couple were explaining

what had happened.

James spoke,"Anna go with the boy and I will follow behind in the van.

It took all James could do was to keep calm, and not break the speed limit. He knew that he had to be there for his son and not go to jail instead.

Rumble was rushed into the ER, while the nursing staff ripped his shirt off with a pair of scissors. The lad was wrapped up, as if was a ten thousand year old mummy. The staff carefully cut through the wrapping and they were appalled at what they saw.

Rumble was covered in bruises, cuts, and sorts of lacerations. The staff had never seen a person come into the ER with such wounds throughout their entire carrier. It was all the more jarring that the wounds were on a minor, like him. The medical staff were trained to expect that the guardians were the cause of the injuries of a child.

James was finally allowed into the ER to check up on his son.

The doctor took the parents to the nearby consultation room to update them on Rumble's condition.

The doctor spoke,"My name is Dr Henry and your son is stable. But we are at a loss to explain the cause of his wounds. Do you have something that you need to share?"

James was pissed at the comment.

"We have never hit our son, beside a few spankings as a kid. He was a good kid, so that was a very rare occurrence. We had never left a mark on him or used an object to punish Rumble."

Anna spoke,"Rumble takes part in all sorts of combat sports, while wearing a full body suit. We never saw anything, but his neck up and his hands. His hands were wrapped up in gauze and tape more than half the time. He was such a modest boy and didn't want to wear fighting trunks or a wrestling singlet. He had us write a letter to his coaches that it was against his religion to show his body off. We go to church, but we never held him to such standards. Yet, we did as he asked."

Dr Henry still wasn't convinced as he spoke,"All the sports federations would never allow such injuries to go on under their watch."

James spoke,"The boy had been working all sorts of freelance work across the four state area to

help pay for his mom's cancer treatment. We had lost our insurance, when Anna had lost her job. I am

a contractor by trade and are paid by the job. I receive no such benefits.'

Dr Henry had a look of confusion on his face.

"Why would let a minor to travel such a far distance for work."

Anna spoke,"The boy was allowed to do what he wanted for as long as he had good grades and was at good standings at all his internships. He never was into to trouble before this. He must had felt that he had to support his sick mother. James has allowed his business to slide into disarray, while caring for me. He is not bringing in half the money that he was earning before my illness."

James had a veil of tears over his eyes.

"He was always a private individual and never had a lot of friends. It wasn't that he couldn't have them, better yet he didn't desire them. He had always rebelled, when he had forced the issue. So, we were glad that he was out and about.'

Dr Henry saw that the parents were sincere,

"I was going to call in child protective services, but I feel that isn't needed here. We have gotten

your son stable, but we are not out of the woods yet. He had suffered tremendous for the last few years, and he will probably carry those scars the rest of his life. I am sorry that you had to find your son in such a state. He must been in nearby outlaw fighting promotions under some sort of alias. The major

promotions only allow eighteen years and up to compete."

James spoke,"So what are you going to do with our son?"

We are going to send him to children's wound care unit here at the hospital. You should be able to see him in about one hour or so. We are going to keep him in an induced coma to ensure that he doesn't hurt himself any further. His body will take months, if not years to fully heal. I suggest that you put safeguards in place that he never does such a thing again, until he is an adult."

Anna spoke,"We have got his phone with us and he never puts a password on his phone. We

will go through his rooms to find out what he was doing."

Dr Henry spoke,"I suggest that when he is released to make him check in throughout the day and keep an active GPS on his phone. We will give some pamphlets to how to do this and other services to do this. From what you are telling me, he is a good son. He has just gotten himself into a terrible situation. I would inform his school of what he had been doing and to keep a watch for any further injuries. He could be kicked out of school for his actions here today, but I will put in a good word to whatever school that he is a good person, with good intentions."

James spoke," He is doing the wrong thing for the right reason, as I had taught him. I didn't think that he take it to such a degree. It was partial my fault that he had hurt himself.'

Both of the parents were crying abundantly, as the harden ER doctor was moved by the display of sorrow. Henry, along with other professionals that deal with people that are in critical condition, attempt to not allow themselves to become emotional. They are hired to be strong and care for people that may die, despite all the care they might be given. But sometimes that wasn't possible, and this was one such time.