FIVE

Adam Griffin Ford had died well over twenty years ago however Jackson never forgot one particular conversation he had with his father about two years prior his death.

"Whoa! Nice throw!" Adam chuckled "somebody is going to be a pitcher one day"

"I'll get it Dad!"

Eight-year-old Jackson quickly went to retrieve the baseball eager to get back to playing. It was a rather warm fall afternoon for the end of October and father and son were spending quality time together.

Adam didn't get to send nearly as much time with Jackson or his wife Elizabeth as much as he liked because of his demanding job as a police officer. There were many things that Adam saw on the job that made him count his blessings everyday.

The most recent case Adam went through made him frown sadly as his son made his way back towards him.

"What's wrong Dad?" Jackson asked innocently

"Sit down Jack" Adam said patting the vacant space on a nearby bench beside him "I want to talk to you about something"

Jackson didn't like how grim his father's face got considering the smile he had a few minutes ago.

"Jack you know that I would never hurt you or your mother right?"

"I know Dad"

"I'm glad you know that"

"There's are lots of kids your age that unfortunately don't know that Jack" Adam said "the other day at work we had to help a boy about your age and his mother get away from his father"

"Was he hurting them?"

"Yes he was"

"But why would he do that Dad?" Jackson asked, "it's wrong"

"It is wrong" Adam said "I want you to know that I would never ever think of doing that you or your mother"

Jackson watched as Adam kneeled down to meet his young son's eye level.

"More importantly I want you to also know that as you grow up to never and I mean never put raise your hand to a woman or child"

"Why would I do that?"

"I know you wouldn't ever do that Jack" Adam said sincerely "but you need to understand that as a man you will be physically stronger than a woman or a child and you could you that advantage to be abusive"

"I won't ever do that Dad"

Adam hugged Jackson

"I love you Jack"

"I love you too Dad" the eight-year-old said, "can we play ball again?"

Adam chuckled taking the baseball as the two of them made their way back to the grassy field of the park.

"Of course go long son!"

Adam wouldn't live to see how much of an impression those words made on his now adult son.

It was November now yet Jackson knew he would still be stuck in this hellhole for another four months. Same shit day and day out.

"....Jackson are you listening to me?"

Jackson sighed looking at the clock it was only one in the afternoon and he was sitting in on one of his one on one counseling sessions with Keith.

"I'm sorry Tight Collar" Jackson said sarcastically "what were you saying again?"

"I was saying Mr. Ford" Keith spoke up a little annoyed by Jackson's insult "what are your plans when you leave Ivy Hill Rehabilitation?"

"To get back to the life I had before" Jackson said simply "working and just being the average Joe"

"There isn't anything you want to change about yourself?"

"Like what?"

"Well even though it was self defense you did murder a man Jackson"

"And?" Jackson asked getting annoyed now "I guess that makes me a murder now huh? That fucker had it coming but that doesn't mean that I'm bloodthirsty"

"Well I didn't necessarily mean you're that way" Keith said trying to back track now "I'm just trying to say that it can be difficult to get over"

"Trust me it wasn't hard to get over that prick" Jackson said "my own father was a cop he never approved of murder but since it was justified I know he'd be proud of me for not feeling any remorse"

"You really think you did the right thing?"

"Yes I do" Jackson said "why do you care since you think I'm going to hell anyway and if I am so be it

"I don't think that---"

"It's a sin to lie isn't it?"

Keith's mouth snapped shut and Jackson shook his head "Exactly look it's almost one thirty I'm pretty sure the 700 Club or Joel Olsten is still on"

Keith tried to quickly give Jackson instructions for their next session as he made his way out the door.

"I want a proper answer on Monday Jack meaning that you really sat down and thought about it---"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Jackson made his way out the door.

Al picked at freshly wrapped bandages that nurses put on her wrists this morning as she sat alone in her rocking herself back and forth on her bed. Al mumbled to herself completely humiliated and embarrassed that her door was wide open for the other patients to see her.

This was it.

She didn't have an escape.

The nurses found the last blade that she kept hidden under mattress. It caused Al great distress especially after nightly visitor came the night before.

She wanted that person to leave her alone.

She wanted that damn vein cut.

She wanted to die.

Why couldn't they just let her die?

"Liyah"

"Daddy?"

Al looked up and she swore she saw her father standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

Cyril Nelson smiled at her and Al felt giddy inside as she excited made her way towards him

"I missed you so much Daddy!"

The other patients and nurses took notice that Al had gotten up and was talking and laughing to herself at her doorframe. She wasn't addressing anyone in the hall was clearly having a hallucination.

"Liyah, Daddy has to go away now"

Al shook her head as Cyril then turned away and began to walk down the hall and she cried out after him

"Daddy no! Come back please! Don't leave me again!"

Much to Al's fear Cyril did not turn around at her pleas and continued walking down the hall. One of the nurses took a hold of her and Al freaked out trying to free herself from their hold.

"You don't understand that's my father!" she cried

"Aaliyah sweetie there's nobody there" the nurse explained, "you're just seeing things it's in your head----"

"No it's not!"

Al yanked her arm out of the nurses' grasp and immediately ran down the hallway chasing Cyril who did not turn around and kept a steady walk.

"DADDY! COME BACK! DADDY!"

"...We probably would have made it to the world series too if they hadn't traded Nicholson" Peter Bates said, "worst mistake ever he was the best damn pitcher we had"

"Are you kidding Phillip hits all of the bases faster" James Brock said

Most of the guys were in the Recreation room watching the first World Series game of the season that Sunday afternoon including Jackson. For once something else to watch besides Fox News or a mega church service being televised.

"I don't know guys" Jackson spoke up "my old man always said I'd be a good pitcher myself someday"

"Yeah and when is that going to be?" Spencer Hill asked "weren't you a truck driver before you landed yourself in here?

"Damn I'm not that old man" Jackson chuckled

"You're not but you're also not a spring chicken anymore either what are you? Thirty-seven?"

"Thirty-one"

"Same thing I will say though you're aging pretty well for a white dude"

"Gee thanks Spence" Jackson chuckled

"I'm serious" Spencer laughed, "no offense but most white people don't age well"

One thing Jackson could say that he would miss from Ivy Hill were these clowns despite their mental illnesses they were the best friends he had ever had.

"DADDY!"

The loud cry from the hall echoed into the Recreation room and immediately Jackson recognized that cry as Al's.

"DADDY NO! DADDY COME BACK!"

Cyril still hadn't turned around he was wearing the clothes that Al remembered he wore the last time she saw him as a four year old girl.

Al panicked when Cyril turned the corner again but it looked like he now vanished.

"DADDY---"

Al tripped on one her untied shoelaces and left the floor a crying mess now.

"Come back...come back please...please"

"She alright?"

"What the hell was that all about?"

Jackson rushed over to Al who had curled herself into a ball crying hysterically to a point where her face was red and her nose was a bit runny.

"You're okay doll face" he whispered pulling her into his arms "you're okay"

"My...daddy...he was here" she cried, "he really was...."

Jackson gently tried to get Al back on her feet but she lost her footing but what concerned him more was her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

"Al!"

Al fainted and the crotch of her pants stained bright red. She was bleeding.

"....Is Al okay?"

Jackson had been hanging around the nurses station since the ambulance came hours ago to transfer Al to the hospital. It was eight in the evening now and still Jack hadn't gotten any answers.

"She's stable now" the nurse reassured "she had already lost some blood from cutting herself early too she's recovering from the D&C they had to perform on her"

"D&C?"

"Aaliyah had a miscarriage Jack that's why she was bleeding so much"

Jackson stared at the nurse in disbelief

"Al...she...she was pregnant?!?"

"She was only twelve weeks along apparently---"

"TWELVE WEEKS?!?"

"Now Jack please calm down...Jack come back here!"

Jackson ignored the nurse and made his way down the hall. Both fists balled up and ready to swing. He knew the bastard who did it. He knew which bastard had a whole lot of hell to pay right now.