It's Not Your Fault

"I'm so sorry," Igoe said to the entire room, overcome with remorse.  "Is Mark going to be okay?"

No one knew what to say.

My father stood up and walked over to him and grabbed him by the arm.

"Chris," my dad said.  "I need to talk to you outside.  Now."

He thought that my dad was going to take him down the hall and beat the shit out of him.  As soon as they were alone in the hall, Igoe broke down.

"I'm so sorry," he said, bawling, his tears smearing on my dad's shoulder.  "Mr. Zupan, I never meant to hurt anybody.  I never meant to hurt Mark."

"It's not your fault, Chris," my dad said, hugging him tightly.  "We know that you didn't do this intentionally."

He took a step back and faced Igoe, speaking to him man to man.

"But you share in the responsibility of what has happened to Mark," he said firmly.  "You both made big mistakes, ones that will affect your lives forever.  Mark might not make it through the night.  And you're going to have to figure out how to deal with that."

"I know," Igoe said.  "I'm sorry, Mr. Zupan.  I"m so sorry."

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