[ WP ] He finally said it : I 'm proud of you , son .

It had been years since he had left home and now he was finally returning to his once sleepy childhood town. As he drove down the freeway he noticed 
 the new stores that had emerged from the once densely forrested countryside. His GPS told him that in 500 feet he should take a right down McLane blvd. 
 Eventually he finds himself turning into the parking lot. He then emerges from the safety of his car to begin his trek. As his feet shuffle accross the pavement his shoulders 
 rise and fall with his breathing. He approaches a set of automatic doors and takes his last gulp of fresh air before walking through. After looking at 
 the directory and cross referencing a scrap of paper he heads to the elevators. Once the elevator arrives out emerges an elderly lady, possibly in her 80s, 
 being wheeled in a wheelchair by a much younger woman, possibly a granddaughter. The man nodded a salutation which went unnoticed. That was the way that 
 he wanted it anyway. He would prefer not to be here. He wished he could walk into the elevator and find it to be made of glass only to be ejected out into the atmosphere 
 to a different life. Instead he pressed 6. 
 
 As he exited, the others on the floor did n't bother to look towards him. He was sure that was because they were used to visitors. He walked into 615 
 and approached the bundled person sitting upright in the cot. The tangled clear plastic wires lead from what seemed like an endless supply of bags towards the patient. 
 Surely it was n't this bad... 
 
 He looked to the whitboard at the front which had faux cheery expo marker writing that exclaimed `` Attending: Suzy!'' He waited and read the rest. This was bedspace A. 
 Cursing his misfortune he wandered into the next section which was obscured by a light white screen. The window blinds were open and shift from 
 half-gloom into the waning sunlight strained his eyes. A greeting from the cot returned the man's sensibilities. 
 
 `` Hey sport!'' called George from his lightly reclined cot in bedspace B. `` It's been a while has n't it Jake? Wo n't you give your old man a hug?'' 
 
 He'd rather not but he ends up inching closer until the ever looming embrace took him. George's arms were still strong and they grasped tightly around 
 Jake looking for shreds of compassion that must have been tucked away somewhere in a back pocket. 
 
 `` You know even after you left I still tried to keep a watch on you.'' 
 
 `` Is that so?'' 
 
 `` Yeah! Your aunt Lisa kept going on about you and how you were doing so well for yourself and I was really happy bout' that.'' 
 
 `` Oh you've kept in touch with her?'' Jake said questioningly. He made a mental note that there was another person he would have to avoid from now on. 
 
 `` Of course! we're family too are n't we!?'' Such matters such as family had never changed anything else before. 
 
 `` Well I'm glad that you're okay, it kinda sounded like you were in somewhat of a dire situation'' 
 
 `` Oh i'll pull through just fine. Doctors say i'll be out in less than a week!'' 
 
 `` Good to hear... Say, I've got ta get home a bit early today. Sarah is working a bit late tonight and the baby sitter canclled.'' 
 
 `` Oh I get you, you say hi to the grand kids for me'' 
 
 `` I will.'' 
 
 As Jake turned to exit the room he heard George mumble in a fashion that was not his own, `` You know I'm really proud of you son, after your mom and all...'' 
 
 
 Jake left the room, went down the elevator, left through the automatic doors, and sat down in the driver's seat of his car. He spoke and said `` siri take me home'' 
 and as the display changed to a map, he wept.
