One Night Changes Everything

Many things had happened since she had moved back to New Jersey. Some good, and some bad. At the moment she was focusing on the good.

Benji…her little boy…was going to college.

She was so proud of him.

After the way she had struggled to provide for the both of them, it felt incredible to know it had all been worth it. That her son was getting the opportunities that she had always dreamed he could have.

Things were good right now.

As far as she was concerned…she had changed some…but her attitude was still as sharp and dramatic as ever…but when you grow up in Jersey – its to be expected. Her hair was now blonde, but her hair still had the same bounce as it did years ago. She was more updated…more in fashion than she had been before. In some ways she looked softer, not so rough around the edges.

All in all…she looked and felt good.

So when she opened the door to her apartment…and found Benji sitting on the sofa with his luggage…and her own, it was easy to say she was worried.

“Benji (pointing to her luggage), what’s goin’ on?”

Benji was holding his hands together as he sat forward, twiddling his thumbs literally. Letting out a deep breath he stood up and reached for a piece of paper that was on the coffee table in front of him. Grabbing a piece of his luggage and his duffel bag he began to walk towards his stunned mother.

Stopping in front of his very worried mother, he handed her the paper.

Sharona looked at the paper and was confused for a few seconds.

The paper was information on two airline tickets purchased a few minutes ago. It was only when she read the destination did she suddenly perk up.

San Francisco.

“San Francisco? Benji I don’t…” But before she could say anything Benji stopped her.

“Mom…It’s Adrian…”

At this Sharona looked up with a slightly opened mouth and a shock in her face.

He gave her a few seconds to let the information absorb. And when it did he could see her beautiful blue eyes dull in pain.

Benji looked at his mom with his baby browns and slowly spoke his words.

“He needs us mom.”

It was all too sudden for her. All too much.

Shaking her head logic finally hit her. “Wait! Wait!! Benji you’re going to NYU…”

“MA!” Benji exclaimed with an aggravated tone. Knowing that he had cut off the major tirade that he had known would come.

Sharona looked up at her son in shock. It always astonished her these days, that her son was no longer a child. He was a man now, one that towered her in height and weight.

Somehow though he still looked soo young.

With the most serious face that she had ever seen on his face he made her understand what he was doing.

“College can wait ma……Monk can’t.”

Sharona slowly closed her mouth in silent understanding. Whatever had happened was truly bad. The worry that she had not had for so many years about her friend suddenly came rising up like a tidal wave. Yet her concern for her sons future leapt over her worry of Monk’s wellbeing.

“Benji…(she started slowly) If somethin’ happened to Adrian I can go by myself. You don’t need to…”

“Ma…when (closing his mouth he looked away and then looked back at her), when you decided to remarry dad…and move us back to New Jersey……I didn’t say a word.”

Sharona’s head pulled back in shock at her sons words.

“When everything happened with dad, and we still stayed here…I still didn’t say anything. But…But now! Right now I’m sayin’ somethin’.”

Sharona stood in front of her son who she had to actually look up at, and realized that she had never known he had wanted to say anything when she had remarried his father.

His stare was one of seriousness and absolution.

“I want to go back and see the only man that actually acted like my father.”

And there it was. Out on the table. The hidden truth that he had never said to his mother.

Sharona seemed to slouch at the words as tears filled her eyes.

“(whispering the word) aww Benji…(sniffling), why didn’t you ever…”

Closing his eyes as he spoke, “Because I wanted to believe as much as you did!” He said fast.

Opening his eyes he saw the tears fall down his mother’s face.

“Because I thought he really changed. And…now I wanna see the one person who was more of a father to me than my real one…………before it’s too late.”

It was those words that had sealed it for her. Sharona had said nothing, only nodding her head as a few more tears fell from her face as she swiped the others away from her eyes.

In an hour they were at the airport. Within three they were on the plane on the way to San Francisco California.

To say the least, they were on there way to one of the biggest adventures of both there lives.

After talking with Benji, and then Natalie, there was one more person that Leland knew he needed to call.

Dr. Bell.

Unfortunately as he dialed the number he truly felt like Dr. Bell wasn’t the person that could really help Adrian.

No offense to Dr. Bell….but…Dr. Kroeger would have really known what to do here. Sadly it was something like this to make him understand how much he had truly helped Monk over the years. It didn’t help that Leland didn’t really click with Dr. Bell like he did with Dr. Kroeger.

He hadn’t said much to Dr. Bell before Leland was interrupted and told that he would be right over, and promptly heard the click of the phone.

Leland had smiled at that.

I guess Dr. Bell ain't so bad after all.

It seemed as though it didn’t take long for those who knew Adrian Monk to become attached to him, and even protective.

Turning around Leland took a moment to check if Monk was still ok…or if he was still not moving.

Captain Stottlemeyer sighed out. Not thinking this could get any worse than it already had. That’s when he heard a voice.

“Captain? The precinct just called and said…Hey Monk! What’cha lookin at?”

Stottlemeyer closed his eyes and let out another big sigh. Of course it can.

Walking over to Randy who was trying to figure out what Monk was ‘staring at’ and trying to get him to listen was another test in his patience with the lad.

But when Randy finally listened to him, all Randy could do was turn and stare at Monk with sad eyes and then back at the captain.

“Is he gonna be ok?” Randy asked in a soft voice.

Leland grimaced with that big mustache of his and slowly stated the truth.

“I don’t know.”

Both of them stared at Monk for a few seconds, both wondering……what had caused Monk…to become like this.