Chapter 63

Next morning while Terri was getting me ready for the day ahead, my pop arrived... his face was fixed as he entered my room. "what?"
he raised his hand, "wait a minute ok?"
Terri looked at me and I sent the signal for me to be alone with my pop, she made her excuses and left.
"So give pop, what's with the look?"
my pop shook his head, and looked to the floor, his mouth was set in a firm line. for the second time I asked, "are you gonna tell me?"
"Jon, I-?" he stopped, my patience was being tested... I tried to keep my voice matter of fact and hide the rising anger... "What?"
"Before I say anything, have the boys spoke with you? "
"yeah, what of it?"
"what have they said?"
my mind was racing as I did not want my pop to know about what Doc had done with the money, but something inside me, told me this is why he was looking so serious.
"never mind pop, just tell me what's on your mind"
my pop paced the floor, "this is hard.... your mom said I should leave it for the time being, but... shit..."
"what the fuck, will you just out with it... stop playing this nancy game for the love of god"
" The money, its gone..."
"what money? "
"All of it son"
"no, just the royalties is what the guys said?"
"If only, its much worse than that, Jon, when I say its gone I mean every fucking penny, there's nothing left."
"what? you're saying all my money has gone?"
"Yes"
"how, the guys said Doc had stitched them up, but mine was safe in a deposit account, how can all that be gone?"
"That's what we are trying to figure, we don't know. Byron is looking into it with the deposit bank now..."
my heart was racing, I was sure my pop had the facts wrong, how can money that was safely in a deposit account disappear?
"I don't get it...how? and how come you know and I don't, its my account? I thought there was protection on these things?"
There is, Dot, tried getting money out to pay a few bills and buy something for the baby, she had her card declined, so she tried at the bank and they retained the card and told her your account was empty. she was upset, and didn't want to come to you so she came to me and your mom"
"THE FUCKING LYING CHEATING BASTARD..... HOW THE FUCK..."
"Jon, calm down please, I'll sort this ok, he wont get away with it..."
"WONT GET AWAY WITH IT, HE ALREADY FUCKING HAS, HOW, EH? HOW, HES BEEN LOCKED UP IN JAIL AWAITING TRIAL, HOW THE FUCK HAS HE DONE THIS..."
as I was shouting my brain was trying to recall all the shady assholes that Doc dealt with, but there was so many, the only name my brain kept repeating to me was Manny Dunling.
I turned to my pop, "listen, go check out a guy called Manny Dunling, right, he was Doc's right hand for years, I'm sure that bastard is involved somehow," I paused, "no wait, get my Dr, I'm coming with you, I've had enough of being the patient boy, my family needs me and I'm gonna be there from now on."
"But your not well enough yet, don't stress this your mom, dot and me will sort it, and I'll get the guys onto it too.."
"NO...enough already pop, stop trying to run everything ok, this is my fucking mess, I have to deal with it... please just go get Doc ok?"
my pop raised his hand for the second time and walked out the door to find my Dr, while I shuffled to finish dressing and rinse my mouth of the acrid taste that had been burning my throat for the last thirty minutes. looking at the reflection in the mirror, I felt the over whelming urge to hurl, running the faucet, I cupped my hands and lifted them to my lips and drank the cool water in large sips, and with water dripping from my chin I again looked at the reflection staring back at me. I pointed my finger and spoke, ""see you, yes you, your gonna be strong and go beat the shit outta that arsehole and get every fucking cent that conning bastard has taken from you. You are a Bongiovi and you take no shit from no-body"
I'd just finished giving myself a pep talk when my room door opened and Doc and my pop were there.
"you wanted to see me Jon, what can I do for you?"
"Yeah, Doc I need you to sign my release papers, I cant explain why, but you have to understand its urgent and I need to go, what's happened I need to sort, ok?"
She looked at me her face set hard, "I don't think that's a good idea right now..."
"no what, as far as you are concerned, no time is ever gonna be good, listen to me Doc, ok, I NEED TO GO..." I took a deep breath as I spoke more calmly, " look, my family need me, ok, give me whatever drugs you need me to take, and I'll do it, but please sign my release papers... you know
 I would not ask if there was any other way..."
Doc stood looking at me, she said nothing, then she turned to the door and looking back she said, I'll arrange it and come back to see you, but no this, I am doing this against my better judgement, and I pray you will be ok."
She walked out the door and as it closed I got my pop to lift my packing case from the closet and set about packing up my things, my pop had been quiet, and as I threw things into the bag he asked,  " you sure you know what your doing son?"
I looked at him, a smile breaking my lips, "yeah, pop for the first time in what feels like forever this is one hundred per cent the right thing to do. "