FRIDAY

Lycas lay on his back. His body felt heavy. His entire face ached. He felt too weak to open his eyes. He tried to swallow but his through felt so dry. All he felt he could do was twitch his finders ever so subtly. He tried to open his eyes again but still found he could not. But he was aware of how hot his eyes felt. Even without opening them, they felt wet and hot, was he crying? The longer he lay there, the more and more aware he became. Soon he became aware of the sensation of the now cooler tears running down his face. He was able to feel a blanket laying on him. Finally he found the strength to open his eyes.  He felt too weak to even move just lay staring at the hospital ceiling. It was painfully bright. The longer he lay there the more he felt as if he were going insane. He needed something to break the silence more than he had needed anything before. He wanted to get up to move to scream to run. But he could not. All he could do was just slightly move his fingers and know open his eyes. But soon, his eyes began to close again. fighting it was infuriating. More than infuriating. The pure agony of fighting it. He wanted to scream. But only closed his eyes again. And then again his mind faded to nothing.

Lucas sat up in the room, his father sitting on a chair beside him, both facing an older doctor. 

“Are you sure?” His father asked, sounding hopeless.

“I'm sorry to say, but your son, he's never going to walk normally again.” 

Lucas for the second time felt all the air leave his lungs. He would really never walk again. The fall had broken his back and his legs. The doctors predicted he'd only ever be able to hobble a few steps possible. And even then with great difficulty and pain. He stared straight ahead trying to think clearly. Since fully waking up he had been having a hard time really focusing. There were a few factores to it, one he had been asleep long enough his body was just not waking up, but on top of that he had a concussion from the fall, and then he also was drugged up on pain meds. And even then, he had been told he was in shock. He didn't know if the last one was really true, but it didn't matter. Although even though his mind was blurry, he could still remember what had happened, although he had denied having any memory. He had not seen any of his friends but had been told that he and his friends were on a hike and he had fallen off a bridge. He had claimed he had really only remembered waking up that morning. He did not know what his friends had told the doctors other than that. And even drugged and confused he still worried about the security guard. How quickly had the monster grabbed him? Had he told the police? This was all too much for him to handle. He found his body was simply trying to cope by just shutting down. He felt exhausted and didn't care much about anything. 

In a few days his friends were able to visit him. He was more awake but still felt groggy. Even with them visiting they all silently agreed to not really talk freely just yet. So they waited. Lucas was glad to know they were safe. Even as they did not say much they had suddenly implied to the monster being dead. He did not know if they had seen the thing. He barely remembered what had happened on the bridge. The fighting. And then Penny being in danger. And he had pushed it off the  bridge. And then he faintly remembered the falling and then the pain. It was all so blurry. It felt like a feverish dream. The entire experience was so strange. He wanted to go home, but simultaneously, he did not. Part of him wanted to stay and remain drugged up not thinking. Thinking was too stressful. But soon the day came. He was discharged and brought home. He had not been to his apartment in so long. But soon he was laying in his own bed feeling exhausted. Even through the exhaustion he had a hard time falling asleep. He lay in bed in the dark staring straight up. His eyes feel dry and heavy. And yet if he fell asleep, something bad would happen, but finally the next morning, sleep was too great an opponent and Lucas was overcome. 

WEDNESDAY

Lucas woke late the next morning. He lay in bed for a while. Finally he pulled himself up looking over to the wheelchair. He looked at it wondering how long he'd be stuck in it if not forever. 

Not too much later he was in the living room with his dad. Neither really wanted to speak. Lucas was still angry, feeling his dad had left him completely alone in such a time where he needed him most. He knew it was not like that, he knew he should now better than most to not waste time being angry. But he was. It was not like he had gone to even stay with another family member. It had been with friends yes. But, it was still not the same. He would not look at his father, who looked quite pained by it.

“So, um.” His father began but having nothing to say stopped.

“When are you going back to work?” Lucas asked through grit teeth, head in his hands.

“What are you talking about?” He said, forcing a laugh. Lucas’ demeanor almost scared him, it was cool, and collected. But in a way that seemed to be hiding something. He tried to shake the feeling it was his son. He was his son he mentally corrected himself. Still trying to shake the strange feeling he spoke again.

“Lucas, I'm not sure if I should go back to work.” 

“But you will, as you said you need money.” Lucas said almost sarcastically.

“Lucas, we need money.” He said firmly.

“Yah, you need more money to pay for me. Man, I've become very expensive to keep these days. I mean what do you have to pay Penny's mom to keep me?” Lucas said jerking his head up staring his dad in the eye finally. His eyes flashed with anger even as he smiled. 

“What are you talking about?” His dad asked straightening.

“She literally hates me. I mean why would she want me to stay with her? And really I mean, you are still stressed about money, when will grandpas life insurance come in. or have you already spent it? Spent it on that knew life then.” Lucas said in a near yell.

“Lucas what knew life?” He shouted standing.

“I mean come on, everybody knows you want to leave. get rid of your son and move on. I'm not going to stop you, everything you've ever done has been fake, fake fake fake!” Lucas shouted eyes wide, he wanted to stand and look his dad in the eye but he was stuck in the forsaken chair.

“Lucas, I'm not starting a new life. I know you've been through a lot but you need to calm down.” His dad said, taking a deep breath. 

Lucas went quiet for a moment, but then began to almost laugh. 

“You know? Tell me then, what do you know? Tell me. What do you know?”Lucas asked, tilting his head to one side.

“Lucas, your grandfather was my father. I've been dealing with my own fathers death.” He said dead calm.

Lucas stopped for a moment thinking of exactly how to respond.

“Mmhmm. You dont have to lie.” Lucas said. Disturbing his father at how calmly he spoke.

“Wh-what are you talking about.” He stuttered out.

“I know he was not your dad. He's my moms dad ,wasn't he?” Lucas asked, rubbing his eyes.

His fathers eyes went wide.

“H-how'd you know?” He struggled to say.

“I figured it out years ago. I achselly asked grandpa about it. He told me. He said really he was ashamed that his own daughter would leave her family how she did. And he vowed to stay and protect his grandchild.” Lucas said glaring up at his father.

“So stop lying and trying to get your pity points. He was not your father. Really I dont know who your father is and I don't care. I've lost my faith in you dad.” Lucas said.

His dad took a step backwards looking confused, sad, angry. So many emotions. He felt so confused. He did love Lucas, he was his son. But, how did he know all this, and why was he acting like this? He wondered.

“So go, go leave me. I'll find somewhere to go.” Lucas muttered, glowering at the floor.

“Lucas, that's not happening. I know I've lied but I'm your father.”

“You to sure about that? I mean how do we even know I'm your kid?” Lucas didn't even know where all this was coming from. He had never really wondered if he was not his own dads son, but now it appeared all the subconscious thoughts came out. All the thoughts and the emotions he'd healed in to keep some sort of false peace. To not offend someone. they all came bursting out. Something felt changed in him? Was he still reacting to the drugs? Really he just felt so angry. Not just at his dad but at himself, at Roxan, at Mark, at the world. IT was all so messed up all of it. 

“Lucas. Lucas, I'm going to pick up food. I think you need some time to think. I'll be back soon.” his dad said, sighing and leaving. Lucas sat alone in the house thinking. What was he going to do know? He thought rubbing his eye. Was something wrong with him? He felt his lip trembling. What was wrong with him? He felt himself shivering. What the heck was going on? 

When his dad got home neither really spoke and just air there Pizza in silence. Lucas wanted to say sorry, but something in him wouldn't back down. He would not say more. But still he would not take back what he said. He had said the things aggressively yes, but for the most part they were all feelings he really did have. 

THURSDAY

Thursday was a lot calmer, Friends came to visit. He and his dad acted a lot more normal. Both pretty quiet but better.

A few weeks passed, and he started physical therapy. It was painful and he hated it but he needed to work for it. Even if he could never really walk again. He wanted to be able to try even a few steps. 

Finally sitting alone with his friends days later, finally alone and being able to speak clearly. They were able to tell him all they knew. Thye explained how they had seen in the news that the security guard had been grabbed by another bear attack, as said in the newspaper. and no one had said anything of their visit to the storage unit. Which was a huge weight off Lucas mind as he had still been greatly stressing about that. They told him about how they had not been able to find the monster that night. And after going back a few days after the accident the ravine was filled, and if the monster was dead as they guessed it was. It would have been washed away by the river. And so the trio agreed under almost no circumstance they would bring up the monster. They would move and attempt to the best of their abilities to be normal. 

MONDAY TWO MONTHS LATER

Lucas was wheeling around town just him and Penny. It was so peaceful. Things had calmed down. As far as he knew his dad was planning on staying. Him and Penny were doing really well. The summer break was coming to a close. It was a nice calm day, Lucas flet mostly relaxed. Him and Penny were planning to meet up with ROxna and Mike at Danas dinner that evening. The group was still rather nervous to be out past dark, but they were getting better at it. Little by little they were leaving the monster in the past. BUt Lucas, even as he acted it. Even as he was able to really smile happily know, the monster still had its hooks in him. He could not shake the memories, or the nightmares. But that was only at night only once he slapped did they really come. And so he stayed awake and kept smiling, he was not going to let it win. He was going to be happy and enjoy these times. 

A few more days crawled by, everything felt so slow. Lucas felt trapped. He felt so empty now. What next seemed to be eating him. He had no idea where he wanted to go with his life. Before everything, before the monster. He had just always thought of just becoming a handyman. But now in a wheelchair. And it was not just that. His focus was broken. Paying attention seemed so hard. He acted mostly normal to the outside world. but he still hasn't moved on. He was stuck. Gagged and tied down to the spot. The memories would not leave.