S2 Chapter 28 - I Don't Know Anymore

Earlier in the day, Willy 'Worcester' White is standing outside a shut-down store smoking a cigarette. As he does so however, he ends up locking eyes with a teen walking down the street. However that isn't what catches his eyes as he sees the person next to him is Hunter Huntingson.

"So, that's where you've been off to aye Hunter?" Worcester remarks as he calls up someone on his phone, "Hey Lynn, it's me. I was wondering if I could borrow some of your men for the night."

After hearing the response, Worcester laughs, "No no, not like that. I just felt like paying someone a visit."

THE MIRACLE CLINIC: SEASON 2

Back in the present, Hunter is outside his foster home at night struggling to rip his metal bat out of Worcester's hand as he roars, "What the hell are you doing here, Worcester?!"

"I was curious about where you ran off to!" Worcester smirks, "Last time we met you ran away before things got good!"

Hunter, finally managing to get the bat out of Worcester's grasp, goes to swing at him once more when…

"STOP!"

Hunter & Worcester stare out at the front patio of the house to see Lennon Lynch holding up an old phone, next to him is Chao Huang.

"If you take one step closer I'm calling the police!" Lennon yells.

Worcester stops, stares at a person on the porch for a while, and then smirks.

"Shame that we have to pause things again," Worcester remarks as he begins to walk away along with the other thugs he brought with, "Next time we cross paths, there won't be another interruption."

As Hunter stands there, he looks back to his foster father, Lennon, who's in the doorway still holding the phone.

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As Marcus helps sweep up the shattered glass into a dustpan, he can hear Hunter's foster parents scolding him in the other room for running out like that.

"You could have gotten hurt!"

"What were you thinking?!"

Selina and Chao are also in the living room sitting next to Jude Jackson. Jude has a bandage where he got grazed and has Mister Fluffykins sitting in his lap. While Chao is upset about Jude getting hurt, he's currently more focused on making sure Jude is alright. 

"Hey, Jude, I know you put a lot of time into that campaign," Chao begins to say, "If you want we could continue where we left off tomorrow?"

"It's pointless," Jude sighs.

"It's not pointless, your campaign was so much fun!" Selina says trying to cheer Jude up, "I'd totally be down to do some more in the future!"

The young Jude sighs, "Thanks but, I don't think I wanna do D&D anymore."

"How come?" Chao questions.

"They're always yelling at Hunter for getting into trouble," Jude silently cries, "I thought if I did this then it would stop that, but it caused it. I caused this one just like I caused the ones with my mom & dad."

As the words leave Jude's mouth, Selina & Chao sit there stunned. Not sure what to say to him. However, it's after Marcus dumps the glass shard from the dustpan into the trash that he begins to speak up.

"Those arguments aren't your fault Jude," Marcus says as he crouches down so they're at eye level, "What happened tonight wasn't because of you Jude."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Jude asks.

"Well," Marcus begins to say before stopping as he sees someone enter the room.

It's Hunter, with his foster parents still in the kitchen talking. Hunter stares at Marcus for a while, not saying anything before asking a simple question.

"Can we talk?" Hunter questions.

"Uh sure," Marcus answers.

"Okay, good," Hunter affirms.

The two stare at one another, waiting for the other to speak for a while as the Chao, Jude, Selina, & Mister Fluffykins glance at them confused.

"Like here or-" Marcus begins to ask.

"Outside," Hunter answers.

"Oh, okay," Marcus says as he stands up, "Sure."

The two walk outside of the house and sit down on the front porch's steps. As soon as the door finally shuts behind them, Hunter puts his hands in his hair in frustration.

"Urgh I'm so stupid!" Hunter groans, "I get caught up with that lunatic and now I can't even protect this home!"

"Hunter you-" Marcus begins to try to say but Hunter cuts him off.

"I guess this is what I get for trying to repent, getting caught up in all this shit, I just…I just wanted to do right, for you, for my mom," Hunter vents as he squeezes his mother's old baseball bat, "But all I'm doing is messing things up. I messed up Jude's whole campaign, I messed up my mom's legacy, and I messed up you."

"You didn't mess me up," Marcus tries to say before admitting, "Okay, you did hurt me, a lot, but you have been getting better. A year ago I wouldn't have even thought you'd rush outside and fight some people to protect someone, yet here you are!"

Hunter is silent before sighing, "I hope you're right."

"How'd you even know that guy anyway?" Marcus asks.

"There were some robberies by the last foster home I was at, I tried to stop them and I ran into him. He kept on pestering me and that home so much that I had to leave," Hunter sighs, "Guess I have to get ready to leave this one too."

"That won't happen!" Marcus tries to say.

"You don't know that!" Hunter says back as he snaps, "You got to find a new home that's all great and wonderful, well lucky you! Go enjoy what you have, and don't worry about someone without a home like me."

Hunter stands up and begins to walk back inside, Marcus follows. As the two enter though, they realize mostly everyone has went to bed already. Everyone except for Chao, who's setting up the couch to sleep on.

"Oh, hey, Selina talked to her dad and he said you guys could stay the night due to how late it is," Chao remarks, "My bed's free for grabs."

"Really?" Marcus questions, "You don't need to give up the bed, I could sleep on the cou-"

"No I insist, you're our guest, you should sleep comfortably," Chao insists.

"If you say so," Marcus laments as he walks to Chao's bedroom.

As Hunter & Chao stand there at night, Hunter begins to walk up the stairs but he stops as he hears Chao's voice call out to him.

"You did good today," Chao states, "I hope you remember that."

"Thanks," Hunter says as he continues to walk up the stairs.

Though just as he's about to enter his bedroom, he overhears chatter coming from his foster parents' room. He can't help but stand in the hallway and listen.

"That kid," Illiana begins to say, "He's really a tough one to handle, huh?"

"They're all tough, you know how hard it was when Chao first came here, and look at how good of a kid he is now! Same with Jude," Lennon remarks, "He's just going to take a while before he can call this place a home."

"I hope you're right," Illiana laments, "I just don't want to set him up for failure."

Hunter stands there in the hallway, his hand tightening before he decides to head to his room and retire for the night. As he enters though, he sets the baseball bat down before flopping into his bed. The bedroom is a shared one with Jude, and while Jude is sound asleep in his bed, Hunter has issues falling asleep in his bed as he starts out the window into the cloudy night sky.

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The morning after was a blur for Hunter. He woke up to the rising sun, saw Illiana & Lenon leave for work, Chao left soon after due to having plans, so it was just himself, Selina, Marcus, Mister Fluffykins, & Jude.

Selina suggested going to the park nearby, but after seeing the way Jude looked at Hunter that morning, after witnessing how violent he was the night before, Hunter thought it was best to stay home that day.

So he did, and was washing some dishes when he saw a phone call come in from Marcus. He set the dishes down and answered the phone.

"Hello?" Hunter asks.

"Hey, Hunter!" the line on the other end remarks, "So glad you picked up, for my and their sake."

Hunter immediately recognizes the voice.

"Worcester," Hunter utters.

"Aw you remember me, i'm touched!" Worcester remarks, "I have a few friends of yours with me at the west side's park, and if you'd like to see them in one piece, you better hurry over there."

"You-" Hunter tries to say.

"I'm impatient," Worcester says before hanging up.

Before Hunter can even think, his legs begin to move on his own as he grabs the metal baseball bat and sprints out of the home and down the street. As he rushes over there, several memories begin to echo throughout his head.

"I love you"

He should've said I love you back to her.

"If she didn't have to watch over you she would still be here!"

Maybe that was true.

"You don't know a damn thing about me!"

But neither did he.

"Did you think I was done after just one swing?!"

He shouldn't have done that.

"I just…I just want to get this over with." 

How could he have hurt him so badly?

"I gave you your chance."

He didn't deserve that chance.

"You're a disgrace!"

He is.

"Why would anyone give out money to two kids that don't even look the part?"

What part does he even look like?

"Bring it on you fucker."

He always hurt him.

"I know I'm all alone right now."

So is he.

"But I don't care! I'm not just going to sit aside and just let you walk all over me!"

How many times did he do that?

"I'm not your punching bag, I'm me!"

How many times did he just ignore his humanity?

"I've got nobody."

Is that still true?

"We've both been through a lot, huh?"

He's tired of 'going through a lot'.

"Next time we cross paths, there won't be another interruption."

So this is what he meant.

"What were you thinking?!"

He doesn't know.

"You did good today."

Did he?

"I just don't want to set him up for failure."

Failure?

Hunter arrives at the park, the rising sun setting everything in a bright orange hue as he looks around the run-down park and spots Worcester standing by the rundown baseball field. In the bleachers are Marcus, Mister Fluffykins, Selina, & Jude who are all being held hostage by several members of the Massachusetts boys.

"H-Hunter?" Jude questions.

"G-go and get some help!" Marcus yells, "You can't win this!"

"Oh, a minute later and you'd have been late," Worcester smiles as he gets in a fighting stance, "Are you ready to get this started?!"

"I am a failure," Hunter begins to say.

Worcester looks at him with curiosity.

"I'm not good at anything," Hunter begins to say as he begins to raise his bat, "Except for this."

"Perhaps the blood I spill could be used to keep people safe, or maybe it's just a way for me to vent out my anger," Hunter says, "I don't know anymore."

Jude's eyes widen as he looks at Hunter, who is wielding the bat that is etched with the initials of Hunter's late mother.

"But all I do know is that right now," Hunter says as he points the bat at Worcester, the bright orange sun shining down onto him, " I want you dead."

See You Next Chapter!~