When Jack got home he went straight to his room, only pausing on the stairs to acknowledge his mothers', "Hey Big Guy!"

"Hey," he mumbled and went up the remaining steps two at a time.

"How was school?" She called after him.

"Fine."

Jack shut his bedroom door and flung himself onto the bed, an act which he regretted immediately as a jolt of pain sent daggers from his hurt shoulder all the way to his crotch. He bit his lip to keep from crying out and then lay still as the agony slowly dulled to a throbbing ache.

The truck driver had said he should go to the doctor, but that would mean telling his mom... something. A huge wave of panic gripped him at the thought and Jack screwed his eyes shut and took five slow deep breaths. This was something he had learned from his dad, and it usually helped.

By the end of the fifth breath, he felt... not better but at least the panic seemed to have ebbed.

He was so tired. Tired of being scared and feeling lost. Tired of being sad. Tired of being...

Why did his dad have to die? And why did he have to stutter? Why couldn't he have any friends? Other kids got to have friends and dads and be normal. Why not him? The thick hard lump was back in this throat and the tears that would not come were stuck in the back of his eyes.

Jack turned on his side and curled into a tight ball.

So tired.

-~o0O0o~-

Ashley Miller stood outside of her sons' bedroom on the upstairs landing wringing her hands. She was worried and she had been worried for months. Jack had lost weight and, rather than getting better as the doctor had promised, his stutter was worse. She wanted to hold him. To stroke his hair and sing lullaby's to him the way she had when he was a baby. It would help both of them, but Jack would never allow it. He didn't hug her anymore and kisses were out of the question. Sometimes she would grab him and kiss the top of his head but he always pulled away roughly. He wasn't a little boy anymore, she supposed, but she couldn't accept that... it was too soon.

Steeling herself to his reaction she tapped on the door with the knuckle of her middle finger.

"Jack?" She called in little more than a whisper.

There was no answer.

She tapped again, a little louder.

Still nothing. Ashley closed her eyes and her hand found the cold metal of the doorknob. She turned it and let the door open a few inches. Normally such an invasion would have elicited a cry of, 'Mom! Why are you in my room!' Or the only slightly more hurtful, 'Get out!'

This time there was nothing. She peered into the room through the gap and saw her son lying on his bed asleep. There were dark purple rings under his eyes and even in sleep he looked exhausted.

Feeling like a criminal in her own home, Ashley pushed the door open wider and slipped into the room. The walls were covered with the accumulated rickrack of childhood. A mixture of superhero posters and Disney colouring pages. His small desk was covered with cereal bowls, drinking glasses and random bits of paper. A basket full of neatly folded clothes that she had told him to put away at least two days ago sat defiantly in front of his overflowing dresser. On the floor next to this was a half-built Lego Millenium Falcon that she had got him for Christmas and little piles of dirty underwear and t-shirts.

Ashley skirted around the mess carefully. She had stepped on enough pointy lego bricks in her life, and her feet were bare as they usually were around the house.

She stopped at the edge of his bed and watched him sleep for a moment. If she could stop time right now she would. Her little boy was safe in his bed. Nothing could hurt him here. She could stay here in this one moment and watch over him as he dreamed and the world outside could go straight to Hell for all she cared.

She reached for him but her hand stopped just inches from his shoulder.

Dinner was ready, but he probably wouldn't eat. He would be angry at her for making him come down to the table. After that unpleasantness, he would only pick at his food moving it around on his plate until she said he could be excused.

'He's so exhausted' she thought and that made her realize just how tired she was herself. She hesitated and considered for a long time before easing herself down onto his Monsters Inc bedspread and gently encircling him in the crook of her right arm.