Adjustment Periods
McRaider
Summary: Ben has just gotten custody of ten year old Riley Poole, when someone appears to be out to get the older man. Now they must deal with the fallout, from Patrick Gates, and most of all, learning how to be father and son.
Author's Note: This is the sequel to A Boy Named Riley, which I've clearly decided needs to be a series of some sort. If you haven't read that story…you'll probably want to.
Dedication: To all the children, like Riley out there, someone does love you, whether you know it yet or not. There's always hope. To people like Ben, and my grandparents. Thank you for taking a child into your home that you never had to accept and giving them a home. May there be many like you forever.
Rated: PG-13 (language mostly)

Chapter One

Ben and Riley pushed the doorway open to the school building, Riley grinning from ear to ear as he gripped his toy before him. "And it was the tallest and the fastest-"

Ben chuckled as Riley talked his ear off about their robot, which was currently nestled in his arms. "Wasn't it cool Ben! Did you see how fast it went!"

"Of course I did, I was there," joked Ben as he ran his hand over the boy's hair. "Hey, come here," Ben pulled the boy's sleeve lightly. "Kneeling down in front of his kid he straightened Riley's collar, "I'm really proud of you kid."

"Thanks!"

Ben walked to the car, his arm wrapped around the boy's shoulder. There was a faint pop somewhere in the distance. Ben grunted as he opened the door. He glanced down at his stomach, where are dark red spot was beginning to grow.

"Ben?" Riley questioned.

Ben's face was contorted in pain as he gripped the spot, "Riley," he whimpered as he crumpled to the ground.

"DAD!" Riley cried as he rushed to his father's side. "HELP DAD! SOMEONE CALL 911!" He screamed, his robot and first prize forgotten as he knelt at his father's side. "HELP!" He sobbed.

Ben lay, his eyes wide open as pain tore through his stomach and side, his thoughts only of his son and if he was safe. He could vaguely hear people calling for help, people screaming around him as his eyes closed.

o0o

The loss of a parent, in any form is terrifying, as Riley Poole sat in the waiting room, alone, drenched in his father's blood, he never felt this more than ever. He'd felt pain, he'd felt sadness beyond belief, and he'd felt fear. This seemed to surpass all of those emotions; he sat as if his world had slowed down as everyone moved by him in a slow motion, no one letting him see his Ben, no one allowing him any news, and no one comforting him. A ten year old in an adult world sat forgotten in the corner.

Emily had received the frantic and panicked phone call from her grandson, and immediately was in a change of clothes, on her way to the DC memorial hospital. She hadn't been able to get much out of him. She'd never heard the child sound so terrified in all the time she'd known him.

At some point she'd started to think about her world in minutes. Five minutes to throw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, to ward off the chilly October air. Ten minutes to get to the freeway that would lead her to the hospital. Thirty minutes to drive there…totally to forty-five minutes of her son's life, and how much of that would be his final moments.

In a blind and concerned panic she'd called Patrick Gates, the man Ben rarely spoke to anymore. In hopes that maybe if something went bad tonight they'd find away to put the pieces of their lives and the life of Riley back together. Patrick was closer; he would arrive probably ten minutes before she did. She suddenly cursed them living in DC still and not in Maryland.

All Emily could think as she pulled into the parking lot is that no parent should have to say goodbye to their child. And no child should truly have to say goodbye to a parent. She hated death, and this was why. It was hard.

She hurried into the Emergency room exit, towards the nurses' station, when she saw him. The man she hadn't seen for nearly twenty-eight years, standing there. "Emily, where is he?" Patrick demanded.

"How should I know, Patrick, I just got here," She all but hissed at him, "My name is Emily Appleton, I'm looking for my son…Benjamin Gates, is he here, is he okay?"

The nurse, a pretty young black woman glanced down at her papers and then smiled shortly to her. "He's in the ER right now; someone will be out to speak with you shortly, if you'd just wait over in one of those chairs."

"Can't you tell us anything?" Patrick demanded.

She shook her head slowly, "I'm so sorry, I really can't. But-"

Emily's eyes lit up, suddenly remembering the most important thing, "A boy, a boy would've come in with him, is he hurt, what about-"

"Last I saw him he was sitting over there in the corner…" Emily's eyes followed the nurse's finger and she spotted a very small figure in the far corner, sitting in the angled corner, completely curled in on himself.

"Oh Riley," she whispered as she forced her purse into Patrick's arms. "Riley, sweetheart," she spoke as she hurried over to her grandson. Blue eyes shot up at his name, and Emily watched as those eyes went from utter relief to complete misery.

Emily reached him in several strides, she placed her hands under his arms and with practiced ease, she lifted him into his arms, uncaring of the blood she knew belonged to her child. "Oh baby," she whispered, holding him close as he broke down in her arms. She held him close as she sat down in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs, rocking him back and forth. "I'm here now, I'm here," she pressed a kiss to his forehead, well aware her own eyes were damp at the thought of losing her son.

"Em-" Patrick began.

Emily looked up at her ex-husband, "Now is hardly the time for introductions, take a seat and I'll tell you all about it later." Not that she'd even know where to begin. How could she possible explain a ten year old into existence?

So the three sat there, for what felt like an eternity, no one speaking, the only sounds were those of a child weeping over a father he'd only just gotten. At some point, Emily was aware that Riley's breathing had evened out, he'd cried himself asleep. Probably for the best, she did notice, however, that his breathing seemed more labored than usual, she made a note of it in the back of her mind and looked at the clock, they'd been there for an hour already.

Just as she was thinking of getting up and asking the nurse again, a man with dirty scrubs came into the waiting room and looked around. He glanced down at his chart and spoke the words they were all dying to hear. "Gates?"

"That's us," Emily spoke up immediately as she lifted the child into her arms, he stirred at the moment, but gave no sign of waking. Patrick followed Emily's actions and stood, making their way to the doctor.

"I'm Doctor David Eccles."

She smiled warmly, at least if he was greeting them Ben wasn't likely dead. "Emily Appleton, this is Riley Poole and-"

"Patrick Gates," Patrick stated, still not sure what had even occurred.

Dr. Eccles nodded, "Right then, shall we talk in the consultation room," He led them to a small room off to the side of the waiting room. He allowed the three to enter the room, by now Riley was alert and had scooted off Emily's lap and was sitting in his own chair. Dr. Eccles closed the door.

"Right then, if you're Riley, I should say thank you."

Riley looked up at the doctor, "Huh?"

"You applied pressure to your father's wound, you probably saved his life."

The child smiled slightly, "So he's alive?"

"Yes, very much so. He's in rough shape, and he's going to be very tired for awhile, so no rough housing with him, okay?"

Riley nodded very slowly, as if suddenly afraid he'd break Ben. Emily reached out and gently patted Riley's knee. "How is he?"

"Well as far as we can tell he was shot in the back, and the bullet came out the other end. Luckily, it appears the bullet was rapidly descending, because it missed both his kidneys and liver. It did however manage to knick his stomach and his colon. He's in surgery right now getting the internal bleeding repaired and controlled. I'm not willing to say he's completely out of the woods, but he's certainly better off than it could've been."

"Thank God," Whispered Emily as she buried her face in her hands, and breathed a deep sigh of relief, the past three hours catching up with her.

Riley looked at Emily and reached out, hugging her arm. She looked older in only moments, he felt sad that she had worried about them so deeply. "When can we see him?" Patrick asked, drawing their attention back to the doctor.

Dr. Eccles nodded, "Well, the surgery should take about an hour to two; I'd like to take Riley here up to the pediatric wing and get him a change of clothes, maybe a shower? How about you two go get a cup of coffee?"

Riley glanced nervously from Emily to the doctor. Emily sighed, "Could I come with you?" She questioned.

Dr. Eccles smiled, "Of course, I'm sorry, I should know better than to be presumptuous, Come on then."

Patrick looked at the boy, still unsure about his story; all the same he looked at his ex-wife. "I'll meet you back up here in an hour."

Riley walked hand in hand with Emily, following the doctor to the pediatric wing, "He seems grumpy."

Emily chuckled softly, "He always has been. Don't worry though; once he gets to know you I'm sure he'll love you."

Riley shot a look over his shoulder, "Doubt it."

Dr. Eccles stopped at a door, pushed it open and returned a moment later with a pair of sweat pants and a small scrub top, "It's not much, but we try and keep several pairs for kids when they come in. it makes them a little less…"

"Scared," Riley offered.

"Exactly, anyway this is the bathroom," he knocked on the door next to it, then pushed the door open. "Your grandma is welcome to stand here and wait, would you like some coffee?"

"Thank you," Emily offered, "If you want to actually shower sweetheart, I'll be right here."

Riley nodded, "Kay."

Emily stood in front of the door and smiled as a few kids walked back; she looked at them, and then glanced at the door. In just a few short months Riley had weaseled his way into both hers and Ben's heart. It was clear he was meant to be a part of this family, even if he wasn't fully prepared to admit at all times. They'd received word earlier this month that Danny, Riley's former foster brother, had been sent to Juvenile prison for raping another little boy and a girl as well. He would serve at least a fifteen year sentence.

Emily remembered Ben stating that the boy wouldn't do well in the adult prison. He was tried as an adult, and while they couldn't immediately place him in the adult prison, within three years he'd be living in the federal penitentiary. Just a couple days ago, Ben had told her that Riley's father was coming up on his trial shortly and would likely face a life sentence in prison several crimes he'd committed.

It seemed as though, just when life was going right, something went wrong. She jumped slightly as the door opened and she saw Riley's damp head of hair peek outside, "Sorry," He whispered.

"What on earth for?"

"You jumped."

She shook her head, "Riley you are a silly little boy. Are you finished?"

He smiled and nodded. "Do I get to see Ben soon?"

Emily ran a hand through his hair in effort to straighten it out slightly, but realizing the attempt was useless, his hair was something of its own creation. "I hope so. Come on then, let's get you something to eat."

o0o

Dr. Eccles ushered them into the ICU room almost twenty minutes later, "It's past visiting hours at this point, but one of you can stay here."

"I'll do-" Patrick began.

"Nonsense, Riley is his son. Riley sweetheart, do you think you can just sleep right over that on that couch and stay out of the way?" She knew she was asking a dumb question, this boy was the master of staying out of the way.

"He's what!" Patrick boomed.

"Patrick, we're not doing this now. Dr. Eccles, it's been a long night, and I'd love to take Riley home, but I know he'll do far better here-as will Benjamin, if he sleeps here tonight."

Dr. Eccles looked at the little boy, "I think I can convince the nursing staff to let him stay here. But Rile you have to stay very quiet okay?"

Riley resisted the urge to remind them all he was ten now, but he simply nodded. "Promise."

"Right then, I'll call you both if there's a change of any sort, and visiting hours start back up at eight." Without another word he headed over to the nurses station.

Emily stepped into the ICU and looked down at her son, he wasn't hooked up to ventilator or anything, so he was clearly breathing on his own, he had some IVs and a heart monitor, but beyond that he appeared to be okay. He was just pale…pale and so very still. She reached down, gently stroking his cheek, "Don't keep us waiting long Benjamin, there's very anxious boy, and mother to see your beautiful eyes."

Pressing a kiss to her son's forehead, she looked down at Riley, "Right then, leavin' you in charge. You've got to be the man for a little while now. Take care of Ben for me."

Riley grinned from ear to ear, "I can do that."

She nodded, "I know sweetheart," she kissed his head, "Sleep well."

Patrick glanced between Riley and then Ben, before he stalked out of the room. Riley looked around the room, gauging where all the machines were, he then pushed a chair over to the bedside and stood on top of it carefully, he looked back at the various wires, then with ease and care he climbed onto the bed, curling right against Ben's unconscious side. "I'll protect you, dad."