Blood Mates

The Time The Mayor Failed His Son

Donald Shamus’ body was found in a ditch two towns over.

 Mayor Sebastian didn’t know who his son could have known in Charleston. Detective John and Detective Sarah had looked into where Donny had been and where it seemed like he was heading.

He had nothing on him, not even his wallet. The truck he was in was a ratty SUV that had no license plate, the fender was dented to hell, and there was more garbage at his feet than the visible floor.

Donny’s body had been crammed in the back seat like he’d been smushed against the door either by three skinny people or two fat people.

He was pronounced dead on the scene and had been so for almost three weeks so they confirmed.

Mayor Sebastian had of course called his ex-wife who hooped and screamed in his ear for an hour before flying up from Florida. When Pamala got there, they had to go and view the body, and it was hard.

Feeling an icy hot pain ripping through him he looked down at his son teary-eyed. He looked fine, if not for the bright fluorescent lights highlighting his weird grey/purple body, he could look like he was sleeping.

But Donny was dead, and as Pamala demanded to know how, the M.E lied through his teeth, “I’m sorry ma’am, your son overdosed on a lethal injection of h****n. It seemed to have been…colluded. He died moments after the shot, and it was very quick. If anyone HAD been there with him, they probably wouldn’t have been able to save him.”

Not looking at his son’s face, Mayor Sebastian asked, “Any signs of anything else? Fresh bruising, anything broken…was he hurt any other way?” Dr. Mesker, the M.E looked at the mayor calmly, “No, not from my findings. All I saw was a possible broken nose that was already healing.”

Pamala looked at her ex-husband red in the face as she whispered, “Why was his nose broken?” Sebastian barely paid her a lick of attention, “He got into a fight at school.”

Walking away from the cold metal table that held his only child, Sebastian turned his back to the sight of him. “Thank you, doctor.” Pamala kissed her son’s head before the doctor could cover his body with the sheet.

 After he was wheeled away, Pamala sobbed barely holding herself up, “How could this happen?”

Sebastian knew the answer and so did she, she just didn’t want to say it. So he did for her, “We knew he was troubled Pam, we’ve just ignored it.” Pamala looked at Sebastian incredulous, “WE ignored it? No, YOU got full custody, and YOU let our son run around with no sense of responsibility!”

Turning quick, Sebastian yelled, “Are you seriously playing the blame game Pam! The boy was a f*****g addict and to be honest we both knew he was going to end up here or jail! And trust me when I say as spoiled and privileged as OUR son had become, he wouldn’t have lasted more than an hour in jail.” Sebastian shook his head as he admitted sadly, “He was only getting worse Pamala.”

Pamala scoffed as Sebastian tried to make this their son’s fault. Their now dead son who had been nothing but a child.

 “And who’s fault is that?” Sebastian let her push past him, but as she stormed out into the hall, he grabbed her arm. “I did my best to keep Donny from going down this path!” He told her gravely, “I tried to understand, I tried to be firm, I tried to be his friend, nothing was working! He was content in being a future dateline murderer and he didn’t want to see a light. He wanted to be in the dark.”

When Sebastian’s phone rang, Pamala snatched from him, “Ever stop to think maybe he got sick of competing with EVERYTHING to get your attention? Maybe like the other lost souls he thought he’d finally find the love of a father in a needle!”

Sebastian couldn’t retort back as his phone kept ringing. “What!?” He barked as Pamala stormed away and went to her sister’s waiting arms. Sebastian said nothing as she shot him a withering glance before taking Pamala out of the morgue.

Sebastian listened to the quarterly report, schedule for next week, and the numerous files being promised to be sent over. But as his son was wheeled past him, time slowed as the sheet flew up. And then all Sebastian could see was the light reflecting off his son’s body.

It looked like wax in the hall lighting, and it made him disgusted to see it. But what really turned his stomach, was the drop of water that fell from the ceiling. It rolled down Donny’s cheek like a tear, and for a moment Sebastian could see his son crying in his sleep. And it broke his heart seeing his son in this condition. Knowing he'd failed Donny, it would haunt him forever. 

Phone lowering for his ear, Sebastian barely heard someone calling his name on the other end, as he cried 

“Sebastian? Hello? Sebastian…?”