Chapter 39

Getting back to my room, I ached all over, Teri and the team had not joked when they said it was gonna be a full on session. honestly, even though my body ached, it felt good. I was working at getting myself back to a good health and a good place mentally. All the blocks were now falling into place.

Easing my body back on to the bed, Teri asked, "Want the TV on?"  I nodded my head, Richie had gone to get a drink and a bite to eat and to grab a newspaper.

For eight months I had not really had any interest in the outside world, well that and being way to sick; but now I had a hunger to know everything, it was as if my life was just starting and I had a thirst for knowledge like never before.

Anyone that knows me, will tell you I did not do well at school barely scraping by. I never went to college, I don't have any degree's. Fact; music was my college and the road, on tour was my teacher, that is all I had ever wanted to do, and until eight months ago was all I had done, but Richie and I were making plans for Bon Jovi and we were gonna come back bigger and better than before, we had managed to fill three notebooks with songs that would be our new anthem catalogue of the future.

The Tv sprung to life, Teri passed me the remote control as she left to go get my evening meal. Some soap opera was on, so I flicked through the stations settling on the news channel. Talk about fuel cost increases, and mortgages being hard to get and unobtainable for the first time purchasers, then a headline that got my attention one hundred percent.

"THE JURY HAVE BEEN SWORN IN TODAY AS THE CASE AGAINST DOC MCGHEE - BON JOVI'S FOMER MANAGER AND DR GEORGE MANNING STARTS ON THURSDAY...THEY ARE BOTH BEING CHARGED WITH STEROID ABUSE, AND MANNING WITH MURDER OF THE AMERICAN ATHLETE THAT DIED IN SAREJAVO DURING THE OLYMPICS IN 1981"

"What the fuck?" I could not believe what I was seeing. Terri came back into the room and placed my meal on the tray.
"a nice meal for you tonight Jon, spaghetti and meat balls" I blanked her my mind thinking on what I had just watched on the news.
Barley acknowledging the meal, I asked " have you see this shit about manning and my former manager?"
she nodded, yeah its been on the news for months, it's all anyone has talked about. there was talk about your old manager being charged with steroid abuse and that he killed someone famous." Terri spoke matter of fact as she went about folding things and tidying up my room, then she left me with my meal and the TV.
my head was in a whirl as I was trying to piece it all together in my mind.
Talking to myself, "What in the fuck...." just as Richie walked back into my room, eating his sandwich, and reading the paper.
"Jon, what's wrong?"
"Have you seen this?"
"Seen what?"
"about what, manning, McGhee?"
he held his head down, then turned it to the side as he answered, "Yeah, kinda..."
"Kinda?"
"Yeah, your mom and pop asked me not to say anything."
"Why?, I aint a child? Talk to me Rich? what's going on?"
Rich tried changing the subject, ummm that looks tasty, better than my sandwich..."
"Rich, please..."
reluctantly he took a perch on the window sill and started to explain everything, I sat in silence listening as he spoke. I could not believe everything I was hearing, at the end I spoke,
"So this has been going on since I was admitted to hospital all those months ago?, and really its all cause of me they are in court?"
Richie, just nodded.
Shock and realisation sunk in real slow., I knew most of the answers but I asked them anyway.
"So, you told my pop, he went to see Doc and made him squeal right?"
Again Richie nodded his head.
"Why could you have not just left things alone Rich?"
He looked at me shocked I had said the last sentence, "Why?, why the fuck do you think man, you were dying?, your mom and pop were all over the place, the dialysis and shit, don't ya dare lay blame at my door Jon. You parents wanted, no needed answers and they asked me, so I told. and no what, I am glad I did, that low life piece of shit deserve everything that is coming to them."
Rich spoke with a venom in his voice I had never heard, I sat in silence. Digesting it all and thinking about everything I had heard.
Terri walked back in the door, "Jon, you have not eaten your meal?, it will be cold..."
Breaking my thoughts I looked at the meal still sitting on the tray totally un touched.
"Ummm sorry, I aint really hungry."
"no good Jon, you have to eat something, orders is orders...I'll go warm it up and be back ok"
I nodded at her, Rich now sat with his back to me, looking out over the grounds. I owed Rich my life.
In that minute I felt real bad for my outburst.
"Rich,"
"Yeah" he answered but still not look at me....
"Don't make me come over there Sambora..."
this time he turned round and was smiling... "Yeah shorty, you think ya can?"
"Yeah, I can..." we were both laughing, the tension broke. "Listen bro, I'm sorry, it's just hearing about it all, well, it kinda shocked me, ya know?"
he nodded his head, "Yeah, I guess it is, but I was just doing as I had been asked. Until you were well enough they did not want you stressing about it."
"so, have I gotta go give evidence?"
"no, your pop saw to it that you would be kept out of it."
I was shocked to hear that, "he did?"
"Yeah, he gave the detective everything he had and struck a deal that you would be left out if it, I don't know how it was agreed, but it was, your dad's statement and his evidence and the Dr's has been enough."
"But they know its about me right?"
"eh huh, they will only know you as Mr X"

I hit the volume on the TV as the reported continued with the headline. "Dr George Manning and Doc McGhee, were  not in the dock and present as the jury was sworn in, but when the trial starts on Thursday, they will be present through the whole trial. Lawyer, Rod Pickering, acting for Manning had this to say. "My client is a victim of circumstance, and it will be proven he is innocent. Thank you" His hand then raised as he walked by the waiting press and photographers, then out of the blue a picture of my pop on the screen, my heart skipped a beat as I watched. he was in the background and I watched as he entered the court room, the press and photographers oblivious to his presence and who he was.... but I had to know, what the fuck was my pop doing there?